Life in the Paws of a Kung Fu Master
by Master Shifu
Summary: Story by Master Shifu: involves past, Kung Fu Panda 1, and future-coincides with Stripes of a Small Tiger's World. I own nothing but the story and my OC's: Ming Yue, Baihehua, Xiongmeng, Yingzi, Jet, and Lucy.
1. Murder and Family

I was dreaming and I knew it, but for the first time, I didn't want to wake up…at least not quite yet. The air was a misty blue, and at the moment, everything was peaceful, for nothing moved. For the first time in my life, I could see, but I suppose there was no point. This fantasy world was simply replacing the usual blackness with another color. Nothing seemed to matter; yet everything did.

"Shifu, help me!" a voice cried behind me, and I instinctively twisted to search for it, but I could find nothing. Whoever had yowled at me sounded somewhat like me, and someone I knew, but warped.

"Where are you?" I asked, and felt fear fill me, urging my legs to run now, but I had no idea why. Then, some of the blackness I was so used to arranged itself into a shape that no doubt was a red panda, for it resembled me. As if in a trance, I walked closer, ignoring my urge to leave this dream world.

Several moments passed, but I came to realize, that however far or fast I walked or ran, I could never catch up with the lone figure, though it didn't appear to move.

"Help me!" the voice wailed again, sounding desperate and anguished, but to my surprise, I found my movements getting slower and slower until I couldn't move at all. To my horror, a huge beast, in an unfamiliar shape with blood red eyes, began to race at the smaller one. I struggled to help, but could only watch with unhappiness as the smaller creature was torn at twice.

Bang! A loud sound nearly made me jump, if I could. A bolt that scented of fire, struck the shadow, causing it to disappear. Relieved, I could only gape in surprise as the bits of black reattached themselves into another larger shadow, this time with glowing golden eyes. Similar to its previous shape, it attacked thrice, and I could tell the weaker shadow was fading.

Suddenly able to move again, I turned to see a bright ball of light gleam brightly at the dark shadow, chasing it far off and out of sight. Stiffening, I realized that it was now behind me. Hot breath billowed down my neck fur, causing it to involuntarily rise. I gave a shiver of fear and closed my eyes.

The creature attacked with an impossible speed and strength. Ducking and weaving, I knew that I couldn't hold this up for long. As if sensing my thoughts, the beast caught my shoulder with the edge of its paw, throwing me into nothingness.

"Shifu!" I heard a familiar voice, and struggled against the dark as I fell, trying to open my eyes, and finding it no help whatsoever.

"Ow!" I yelped. As I came out of my dream world, wrapped up in a blanket, and hitting the hard wood floor as I fell. Struggling to untangle myself, I turned to glare at my sister.

"Were you having a bad dream? I couldn't get you to wake up, so I pushed you off the bed…sorry," Ming Yue, my adopted sister called down to me from on top of my bed.

"Yes, I was. Now why did you wake me up?" I asked irritably, trying to cover up my shock and fear that still hovered around from my nightmare.

"What was it about?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," I growled back. She wouldn't understand how I could see in my dreams and how they were often prophetic.

Sensing I didn't want her to continue questioning me about it, she said simply, "It's time for breakfast," and bounced off of my bed to land on the rolled up ball of sheets I had struggled out of.

"Yow!" I arched my back and my fur stood on end as her foot accidentally squashed my tail.

"What?" she yelped with surprise, cringing a little at my outburst.

"Get off my tail!" I hissed, flattening my ears at the sharp pain that was shooting up it.

"You look like a cat!" she laughed, bursting into hysterics.

"No I don't! Now get off!" I snapped back, trying to pull my sore tail out from under her. I was very unsuccessful.

"You don't know what a cat looks like," she protested. As she mentioned my blindness, I growled angrily at her and swept her feet out from underneath her. Shoving her quickly backwards, I freed my tail and glared at her.

"I may not know what a cat looks like, but I can tell what one is, and I know for sure I do not look like one," I snarled.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked in dismay, knowing that I had got the basic point.

"It's fine," I turned away with my ears still pressed against my head. The other kids acted worse then she accidentally would. They didn't understand that I was not weak because I couldn't see. All of them purposely went out of their way to help me or acted sickeningly sympathetic. Strangely enough, I could almost taste and feel their emotions or feelings, so I knew I was right. This was how they felt…and I despised them for it.

"I really am sorry Shifu…I know you got the meaning. I just don't think sometimes," Ming Yue miserably apologized. Softening slightly, I knew that she really loved me as a brother, and that she was not nearly as bad as the other children. The only reason she was trying not to insult me or hurt my feelings was because she liked me, not that she felt sorry for me.

"I know," I apologetically grinned at her, showing I forgave her and was trying to make it up to her for snarling.

"Want to know a secret?" she suddenly crawled up to my ear.

"What?" I asked, momentarily flummoxed that she had changed the conversation entirely.

"You're still a kitty!" she laughed in my ear and twitched her tail with amusement before leaping away.

"Get back here!" I playfully growled, and began to chase her across the room, laughing. She was a lot faster than me, but I was stronger, and took a mighty leap to sail onto her back.

"Get off of me you great lump!" she yelped, trying to twist nimbly away. Not giving her such an easy chance to wriggle away, I pinned her on her stomach and sat on her back.

"Who's a kitty?" I growled with amusement, expecting her to take it back.

"You are, didn't you hear me the first time?" she burst into hysterics. With a pretend yelp of outrage, I lightly boxed her ear.

"Come on, let's go get breakfast now," I said, jumping off her and opening the door so we could pad down the hallway.

"You'll always be a kitty," she merrily sang.

"That's it! I am older than you, and as your elder, I say you have to be kitty," I pretended to speak seriously as I pinned her flat against the wall. This was true. She was adopted nearly a year after I was born, as a playmate. She was also considered my guard though, much as I resented that.

"You can be Shifu the kitty," she playfully teased, ducking as I half-heartedly swung a fist at her ear again.

"And you can be the goose and kitty will eat you," I bared my teeth in a fang filled snarl, advancing on her, whisking my tail back and forth.

"Why am I a goose?" she protested, backing away.

"Because I am kitty and you have hesitated too long. Now I will devour you," I growled and chased her as she squeaked happily. Running into the kitchen, I skidded to a stop so I wouldn't run into the big wooden table.

"Well, hello Shifu Kitty and Ming Yue Goose," our mother greeted us, playing along with our joke.

"Good morning mom," I greeted her.

"So what am I if you are my children, a cat and a goose?" she teased.

"A goat," Ming Yue fell on the floor, laughing. I couldn't hold back a snicker either.

"Well… Go from goose and at from cat would logically make you a goat," I grinned at her.

"Well, anyway, it's time for breakfast you two. I might be home late tonight, so be careful," she told us, coming out of the game and being serious now.

"Why are you going so long?" Ming Yue protested, scooping some rice that mother had passed out in a bowl, before moving it to bump my hand so I could also scoop some into my own rice bowl.

"Now that I own my new rice restaurant, I have to go to work a little earlier and come home a few hours later. Be careful while I'm gone," mother replied. As she padded out of the room, I heard her quietly leave the house.

I started to eat. She made very good food that I normally would try to concentrate on, but her words had irritated me. Since father died of an illness before any of us were alive, and we disliked babysitters, mother let us out to roam the village. I suppose we were lucky to even be allowed out in the streets alone at such young ages, but we all knew, including her, that the village was almost always safe. She was worried for me, I could tell by her emotions, but I can take care of myself.

Several minutes passed, and my sister and I ate in silence, both lost in thought. Finally, she set her dishes in the sink and began to fidget, swishing her tail rapidly along the ground.

"What do you want?" I sighed, knowing she was impatient and wanted something. She ignored me, though, and continued to flick her very long tail back and forth. Finishing breakfast, I put my dishes in the sink next to hers, and turned to face her.

"I have enough money from all those little chores we did to go buy a flute. You know I always listened to others play and liked it," she impatiently answered my question. She did always obsess over the music, though I personally didn't have much love for music…in fact, I wasn't even sure why she was so excited.

"Fine, let's go," I said. Running down the hall, she gave a little bound against the wall as she went to her room to get her money and I went to my room to get mine. I put it in a little bag in my pocket and heard her rush back down the corridor.

"Come on Shifu, what are you doing?" she asked.

Ignoring her, I took my time coming back before saying, "I can get a pair of battle swords now." I wondered if she was surprised and felt a little satisfaction. If I could learn to train well enough with proper weapons, maybe Master Oogway, originator of Kung Fu, would accept me as an apprentice. I knew it was a long shot, but I secretly practiced and worked hard during the night, and found that I was actually pretty good.

"Yes, I know. I've often watched from the tree you use to climb out the window. Even with kitchen knives, you fight pretty well," she added nervously.

"What?" I yelped, flicking my ears back a little with surprise. She must have been very silent and downwind so her scent would not blow to me.

"As much as you try to pay attention to things so you can fight well, not to mention sneak out of the house, you've never realized that you're also showing me too. I can be just as quiet as you sometimes," she giggled, flicking her tail up with amusement at my surprise. Ming Yue was sort of strange about her tail movements, I noticed. When she was happy, it would frisk around; when she was nervous, she would curl it; when she was impatient or exited, she would swish it; when she was sad, she would tuck it as close to her side as possible; when she was amused, it would stand up straight; and when she was angry, it would fluff up with a shuffling noise. Deciding to play a trick on her, I tried not to smirk.

"But not as fast," I growled, unable to keep out a mischievous tone. Dashing as fast as I could to the door, I ran outside and shut it before she could reach me. Holding the door closed, I waited until I picked up the scent I wanted, and let go of the door as I let her turn the knob. I raced off and heard her give a squeak of surprise as she shoved the door hard, only for it to swing wide open, and she was dumped unceremoniously to the ground. She soon picked herself up, but I was already nimbly dodging obstacles and villagers on the way to my destination.

"Hey! Where are you going?" my sister yelped, giggling as she unsuccessfully tried to catch up to me.

"The sword shop. I've picked up the owner' scent," I called back. Slowing a little to give her a chance to catch up, I noticed it did no help whatsoever, and I laughed at her clumsiness as she almost hit someone as she ran by. Feeling the exhilaration of the cool wind, warm sun, and my speed, I almost forgot where I was going.

"Wait up!" Ming Yue yowled with mock annoyance, "If you're not careful, you're going to run right past it!" Skidding to a halt, I stopped and waited as she slowly padded over to me, panting for breath. Promptly, she walked over and tried to stomp on my foot.

"Hey!" I yelped with surprise, and dodged before sweeping out her supporting foot.

"Uff," she gasped as her breath was knocked out of her, "Lighten up!" Helping her up, I gave her a somewhat apologetic grin.

"Don't try to step on me then," I laughed.

"I'm going to the flute store. Do you want to meet me and Baihehua at the pond when you're done?" she asked hopefully, ignoring my previous statement.

"Who's Baihehua?" I asked feeling slightly confused at all the names of her friends.

"You know…" she searched for words to describe whoever it was.

"No, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you," I said curtly.

"She's our new neighbor since the others moved away. You really should try to be more sociable. Baihehua is about my age and she's a fox," she replied.

"Fine, you can bring her," I sighed, "You can also go see if anyone else wants to come. It's a nice summer day." The shoulder high pond was great to swim in with the heat, or I guess in my case, stand and talk. I didn't like all the other kids going too, only to watch me just stand there in the water, but I knew she liked having little pool parties with her friends. I just wouldn't come, but I didn't have to tell her that.

"Bye kitty," she merrily pranced off before I could come out of my thoughts and take a swipe at her ear. She knew I got annoyed with the whole kitty thing.

Walking into the store, I could hear Mrs. Shi, the storeowner, tidying about in some back room.

"Hello Mrs. Shi," I said. To my amusement, I heard her jump at the sound of my voice. In such a small town of mainly geese, red pandas, occasional snow leopards, foxes, and others, most villagers knew each other's names. Mrs. Shi was a pig and I couldn't scent any other customers around at this time of day, making me feel relieved that my purpose didn't have a chance of being shared to all ears.

"Hello Shifu," she greeted me.

"Can you help me find a pair of battle swords?" I asked her shyly. Though I wasn't comfortable about asking for help, I knew it was necessary in this case.

"Why would you need to fight? You aren't old enough to join the emperor's army, and this small town is usually extremely safe," she said, sounding a little confused, but I could tell that she wasn't trying to pry.

"I just want to be good at it," I shrugged, taking care to only tell her part of the truth. If she ever told mother that I told her I wanted to train at the Jade Palace, she would have a fit and never give me any chances to practice.

"Can you describe the type you want?" Mrs. Shi gently asked and my hackles momentarily rose. Her voice told me she was doubtful and only acting out of sympathy, but I needed her help, and so, flattened them again.

"The blades should maybe be half a yard long and maybe one or two inches wide," I told her. As she walked over to a section of the store, small as it was, I heard her I heard her pick up three pairs and come back. She set them on the counter for me and waited as I slowly and carefully ran my fingers along a sword from each pair.

"Thank you," I said, minding my manners, even though I disliked her.

The swords were all beautifully crafted, probably made my red pandas, as they were very good at metalwork. Finally, I chose a pair that had maybe wooden or ivory handles and long, very strong blades. Near the handle, they had rings of iron studs and I grinned. Testing them, I found they were balanced perfectly and were light, yet extremely strong.

"How much are these?" I asked her tactfully.

"Ninety yuan," she answered and I felt a small glimmer of relief that I could afford the strong weapons.

"I'd like these then," I told her. Picking up the other two pairs, I heard her go and out them back before returning to the counter again.

"Be careful Shifu," she advised me and I gritted my teeth with anger. She probably knew my mother didn't know about this and was trying to tell me not to get hurt. It was a warning, but I hated when the villagers did that.

"Sure," I said calmly and paid her the ninety of the one hundred yuan that I had in my small bag.

"Bye," she called after me as I walked away.

"Thanks and bye to you too," I said before muttering in a low voice that was impossible for her to hear, "Idiot."

Carrying the swords proudly, I hurried to my house just a little; so not too many of the few villagers that were there would notice what I was carrying. Now that I had the swords, I was determined to put them to good use. Training would be a lot easier with them, and I could practice while Ming Yue, Baihehua, and her other friends had a party at the pond. As I was thinking of her, I could suddenly smell her scent, close!

"Shifu!" Ming Yue yelped as she careened around the corner and into my stomach.

"Uff!" I gasped as she knocked the wind out of me and we both fell on the ground. Untangling myself from her, I growled as I heard one of her friends approaching.

"Why are you going home?" she asked.

"I don't like parties. I'm going home to practice with my new swords," I told her, bristling as the others arrived.

"Hello," a voice said and I wondered who it was.

"Hi," I said back.

"Please come to the pond with us. It'll be fun. We can swim, talk, and play hide and seek," my sister protested.

"Who is he?" the same voice asked her and I growled at the hushed words.

"I'm her brother!" I snapped, "Who are you?"

"My name is Baihehua and I'm a black fox," she explained, "We wouldn't mind if you came." I almost rolled my eyes. She thought I didn't want to intrude and that's why I wasn't coming. She did genuinely want me to come though and I sensed that she seemed to like me. She was okay too, I suppose, considering Ming Yue had some strange friends in the past.

"Fine," I humored her, sighing, and getting up to follow them.

As we made our way through the village, I could hear low murmurings and scent a lot of villagers clustered at one specific area.

"What do you think is going on?" Ming Yue asked.

"I don't know, but let's go see what's happening," Baihehua barked, bursting into a run. Racing ahead, I could hear a lot of words.

"Who would do such a thing?"

"…Poor kids…"

"…So much blood…"

"…Wolf…"

"Why wasn't anyone around to help?"

"Poor Kaihua…"

"Mother!" Ming Yue shrieked, obviously hearing them. I could only stand stiffly, gaping in shock. Hurrying after, I wondered what had happened. She's only hurt…I thought desperately, but that was when I scented the blood. No creature could lose that much and still survive. The acrid salty stench made me feel like vomiting and my head spun.

"She's dead," I could only whisper in a grief stricken voice to my sister.

"What are you talking about? She's fine!" she desperately hissed back, shaking at my words.

About to answer back, I felt the crowd part for us, and knew she could now see mother.

"She's dead," I repeated, feeling so sad that my heart could explode. She could never come back. Who had done this?

"Mother!" she wailed, racing over to sit close to her, trying to wake her somehow.

Anger filled me until I shook with rage. Turning, I heard the fox gasp at the bloody sight before her. Walking to the village doors, I could scent more blood. Either it was another victim or the killer, and I desperately wished it were her murderer, so I could take a painful revenge on the murderer of my mother.

"Shifu, I'm so sorry," Baihehua murmured, fallowing from a short distance behind me.

"Someone said a wolf killed her, and I think I've caught its scent. I am going to kill whoever has done this!" I snarled angrily.

"No! I know you miss your mother, but it's too dangerous!" she protested.

"How could you understand? I don't care! I would fight if there were a hundred wolves that had helped kill her. I can fight," I growled back. Pain and rage filled me, but I needed t do this.

"But you can't see!" she exclaimed.

"I don't need any help to bring justice crashing down on the head of whoever has done this!" I hissed ferociously at her, stopping in my tracks to glare at her.

Turning, I raced into the trees, fallowing the scent, and listening to the sounds around me. Hopefully Baihehua was no longer pursuing me. There was a rustling of grass, and it was only until it became a fast approaching leaf crackle, that I realized the wolf was coming. How good…for me.


	2. The Jade Palace

"Kiya!" I turned to face the wolf, ducked, and plunged a sword upwards. There was a terrible howl of pain and blood spattered my shirt as the injured wolf sailed over me, wrenching the swords out of my grip with its jaws.

"You little rat!" it snarled, and I could hear it limping on the forepaw I tore open.

"You killed my mother!" I cried out in anguish before snarling a single word, "Why?"

"Your mother was weak. She deserved to die," the wolf snorted with contempt, trying to move silently and slowly behind me.

Lunging, I looked at its injured paw, but aimed for its muzzle. As he ducked, I sailed into his forehead, delivering several swift kicks before leaping out of the way.

"Shifu!" Baihehua called, catching up to me and pausing with fright to see a full-grown male wolf.

"Do you need a girl to help you win your battles?" the wolf snarled mockingly.

"Stay out of this," I warned her, and heard her back away slowly. With relief, I knew she probably was too frightened to intervene.

While I was distracted, the wolf raced forward, aiming a blow at my side. Jumping into the air, I lashed out with a couple more kicks before leaping on his back, and then over, to reach my swords.

"Not a chance small fry," the wolf hissed, turning and swiping at me again.

Ducking, I backed up, so he ran right over and past me. Grabbing onto his uninjured fore paw, I sank my teeth into his fur. Yuck! He tasted horrible, but I bit deeper, determined to injure him enough so he could not run away.

"Give it up murderer!" I growled.

Yowling with pain, he swung his foot high into the air before snapping at me. Letting go of him, I dropped to the ground, rushing at a hind leg. Figuring out my next move, he leapt quickly away, and snapped at me. One of his hard large paws slammed into my side and I yelped as the sudden pain lanced through me, and I was thrown into a hard rock. Sharp agony exploded into my head, making me dizzy, as well as sore in my side, and I could only wait as he closed in on me. I tried, I thought desperately to Kaihua.

"Get away from him!" little Baihehua yowled, flashing past both of us to take my swords and slice the wolf on the shoulder.

Howling with pain, he rushed off.

"Come back here and fight, you filthy mutt!" I shouted angrily, struggling to my feet. Blood was trickling down my side, but I didn't care. He got away!

"Shifu, are you all right?" the small fox rushed over to me worriedly.

"I'm fine, but now he got away," I growled.

"Come on. Let's go back to the village," she took my arm gently.

"No," I shook my head, "I must find my sister and we must leave before the owner of the orphanage come looking for us. We will be separated if we go, as nobody usually looks for two. We can head for the Jade Palace."

"What about us? If you stay, we might still be able to all be friends," she protested.

"Thank you for helping me, but we can stay here no longer. Besides, I'm not letting that darn wolf go so easily," I said.

"Very well. I can see you won't change your mind, but the question is, will Ming Yue agree?" she asked.

"Yes. She doesn't want us to be separated either and she was always curious about the Jade Palace too," I smiled a little as I remembered her sometimes asking about it, slightly intrigued at Kung Fu. Walking with the friendly fox now, I did know I would miss her and her sister. They were all right, but I had to protect my sister with mother gone.

"What if Master Oogway doesn't allow you to stay?" she timidly asked.

"Then we will find somewhere else. Don't worry. I'll find a way to send you two messages," I told her.

"No, you won't…because I'm coming with you," she decided.

"What?" I yelped.

"I always pretended I had parents, but they died of some illness about a month ago. You're nice and I want to come with you if it's not too much trouble," she said shyly.

"Sure," I said, trying to forget the wolf, and concentrate on finding Ming Yue.

"What are you two doing here?" a stranger asked, but I stiffened as I realized it was the manager or some adult from the orphanage.

"Not coming with you!" I hissed, dodging around him and racing through the doors of the village.

"Who was he?" the fox asked me, hurrying to catch up.

"He is an adult from the orphanage. I have to find my sister and escape. He has a bad back, so we probably have a few minutes," I explained.

"Shifu, where are you?" I heard Ming Yue's voice and gave a sigh of relief. She was looking for me and was very close.

"I'm here. We have to leave," I told her, pulling at her arm.

"What happened to you?" she squeaked with alarm, turning to face me. For a moment I wondered what she was talking about, but then I realized I scented of wolf blood.

"I'm fine. This is the wolf's blood, the one who murdered our mother. I fought him and he escaped, but I will never forget his scent. Baihehua saved my life and we ran into the head of the orphanage on the way back here. He's looking for us and she actually doesn't have any parents. We must go now. Master Oogway from the Jade Palace might allow us to stay, or he might not. We have to go anyway," I hurriedly told her a brief summary and continued to pull her along. I decide to refrain from telling her about the wound in my side. When it got to worrying, she was so much like mom.

"What's so bad about going to the orphanage?" she replied despondently.

The little fox answered for me, "You are most likely to be separated."

"I'm coming," Ming Yue sighed, pulling her arm away from me.

"You kids, where are you?" I stiffened as the sheep called out for us.

"Run!" I hissed. I could run faster than both of them, but that wouldn't help us now.

"There's a shortcut I use to get out of the village sometimes. Fallow me," Baihehua quietly woofed. Sprinting after her, I allowed her to lead the way and urged my sister to hurry.

"Do you even know where the Jade Palace is?" Ming Yue asked me once we were out of the village and a good distance from anyone else. I realized that unfortunately…I didn't.

"We're very close, actually. If we walk, it would only take maybe ten or fifteen minutes. I've been to the Valley of Peace before, once," the fox told me.

"Good," I curtly replied, "We can get there quick and that sheep will never find us now anyway."

"Sheep aren't very good at scenting, are they?" my sister wondered.

"No, they're not," I chuckled with amusement as I listened to him very far behind us.

"Do you know what he is doing?" Baihehua woofed curiously.

"The idiot is going around in circles, searching for paw prints in the dust. Considering many others have been in the forest too, I can't imagine how that would help," I snickered.

"How can you tell all that?" the fox continued.

"I can hear him bleating with frustration and he is moving so much slower, never coming any closer, but going farther away." I told her, "Ming Yue can hear him too."

"No I can't," she unexpectedly said, "Even though red pandas have excellent hearing, foxes usually hear better. Only you can hear that."

"Oh," I flicked my ears with surprise. Since I was blind, I guess my ears and nose worked a lot better than usually they would have.

The remaining minutes continued in silence as we walked to the Jade Palace.

"Wow," my sister breathed in amazement. Apparently we had arrived. The village scented mainly of ducks, geese, rabbits, and pigs. Some of the villagers whispered curiously about us and I assumed they didn't get many newcomers heading straight for the Jade Palace.

"Ow!" I yelped as I tripped over something while I wasn't paying attention to the ground.

"Sorry I didn't warn you. It's extremely high up. There are maybe about a thousand steps until we reach the door to the palace," Ming Yue warned me.

"Come on," Baihehua excitedly barked to me, "Now you've even made me anticipate living at the Jade Palace."

"Coming," I sighed, padding after her. The next several minutes consisted of walking up the enormous staircase. There were so many steps that I lost count a tenth of the way up.

"Finally," Ming Yue panted as we reached the top and I couldn't help agreeing with her.

Scenting a royal door opener, possibly a duck, I walked closer to him to speak, "Is Master Oogway present?"

"No, but his new students are," he replied.

"He has students?" I asked, feeling a little surprised. I'd heard that in his life of many hundreds of years, he never took on apprentices yet, as he believed that he should learn all the secrets of Kung Fu: confidence, patience, compassion, discipline, courage, wisdom, harmony, and focus, and many others.

"He adopted two half an hour ago from the local orphanage," he replied before asking, "Would you like to speak to them? They might know where he is."

"Sure," I shrugged. The duck signaled to some other door openers, who let him slip quickly inside.

"I can hear them playing up the mountain," Ming Yue remarked, "I wonder what they're like. I waited patiently, ignoring her. Eventually, thunderous paw steps rushed down the mountains toward us, and the doors were hurriedly opened once more.

"Who are you?" a rumbling voice met me, "Did you get into a fight or something?"

"I am Shifu and I am nine years old," I told him, waiting as the others also introduced themselves.

"I am his adopted sister, Ming Yue, and I am eight," my sister added.

"I'm Baihehua and I'm also eight," the small fox put in.

"We all don't have any parents and Kaihua, Ming Yue and my mother, was killed by a wolf, who recently, Baihehua and I got into a fight with. He ran off though. Do you think Master Oogway would allow us to train here?" I asked hopefully.

"Probably, he's pretty cool for a tortoise. My name is Xiongmeng, I'm a rhino, and I'm nine. You haven't missed any training and I'm sure he'll let you stay. He left to get more food for the storage room, but he'll be back soon," the rhino informed me.

"Who else is here?" I asked, listening to a series of loud sharp barks.

"Yingzi is a wolf and he's nine years old. He's a little temperamental as you can hear him howling his head off up there. Do you want to play hide and seek with us?" he asked.

Stiffening a little, I moved closer to scent the rhino and the faint scent of wolf, but I knew he was not the one.

"He is not the one who killed our mother," I sighed, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't get to fight the evil hairball again so soon.

"No!" he yelped in shock, "He's annoying, but he would never do that! Anyway, how could you tell?"

"I can tell they don't have the same scent," I murmured. Feeling some of the rage from the brutal murder return, I growled, "When I find whoever did kill my mother, he is going to wish he were dead rather than live to feel my wrath," I snarled.

"Do you know where he went after he attacked you guys? And by the way, is that your blood or his you're covered in," the rhino asked.

I growled a little, tired of everyone asking. "No, I don't know where he went and this is his blood," I grinned with satisfaction. Baihehua seemed about to protest that I was hurt, but I silently flicked my tail in a 'zip it' motion.

"Did you see where he went?" Ming Yue asked Baihehua and I felt a flicker of hope.

"No, I'm sorry," the fox timidly replied.

"It's fine. I'll catch up to him sooner or later…preferably sooner," I sighed, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Oy! Baihehua, Shifu, Ming Yue, Xiongmeng, get up here!" a loud scratchy voice yelled.

"Come on!" Xiongmeng laughed, "We'd better get up there before he has one of his fits."

"I do not have fits!" the wolf screeched angrily.

"Well, then what is it when you burst into scratches when you're angry?" the rhino teased.

"I blame it on fleas!" the voice answered.

"Key word, blame," the rhino muttered and we all couldn't help snickering at that.

"I heard that!" the wolf called back with an injured tone.

"You were meant to," Xiongmeng impertinently flashed back.

"Hey!" Baihehua yelped as a small rock hit the ground hard, right next to her.

"Sorry! I was aiming at the rhino!" Yingzi called to her.

"That's it!" the rhino began charging up the mountain with Ming Yue and Baihehua behind. Walking to the edge of the mountain, I leapt up the side, pulling myself up by taking advantage of every crack and ledge in my way. Finally, I shot up the mountain to stop where the wolf was. Panting for breath, I waited with exhaustion as the others slowly caught up.

"Wow," Xiongmeng gaped.

"I'm going to start counting now," the wolf warned, and everyone hurried off to find a hiding spot, laughing as they did. Setting my swords by a tree that Ming Yue had propped her flute up against, I stood still, and listened.

"Shifu, don't you know how to play?" the wolf asked me, walking closer. The valley was such an echoing place; of course he'd heard our whole conversation by the doorway.

"I know," I told him, and stayed right where I was, ears perked.

"Whatever," he grumbled, slapping a paw over his eyes, "Twenty, nineteen…"

"What's he doing?" Xiongmeng whispered to my sister, interrupting my concentration.

"Shhh," she whispered.

Swiveling to face a tree, I crouched low to the ground and tensed my muscles in preparation. Flicking my tail, I raced upwards, dodging the branches at the slight curves in the bark. Running up the thick tall tree, I finally reached the top.

"Fourteen, thirteen, twelve…" Yingzi continued to count.

"Hey guys!" I shouted from the treetop, knowing the others would see me.

"He's really good at climbing," Baihehua whispered to Ming Yue admiringly, and I felt a momentary flash of pride. Wanting to show off for her, I did a handstand on one of the thicker branches.

"Stop showing off!" Xiongmeng laughed, immediately switching to another hiding place so Yingzi wouldn't find him so easily.

Dropping back onto all fours, I listened for the wolf and backed away into the cover of the leaves.

"…Two, one, I'm coming to find you all," he called. As I waited, I realized he was approaching my sister's hiding place.

"Sorry tree," I muttered quickly, pulled off a hard knob of wood, and chucked it at the wolf.

"Yeow!" he yelped loudly as it struck his rump. Laughing quietly, I could hear the others giggling too.

Angry, the wolf began to circle back around and look for me.

"Aaachoooo!" the rhino suddenly sneezed.

"Did you do that?" the wolf growled.

"No," he chuckled.

Sighing at him, the wolf continued to pad around. Sneakily, Xiongmeng began to quietly creep away.

"Where are you going?" Yingzi yelped, turning to see him. "I got you," he protested.

"No you didn't," the rhino laughed, racing away from the enraged wolf, laughing loudly.

"Yeow!" Baihehua suddenly screeched. Apparently Yingzi or Xiongmeng accidentally hurt her. "You stepped on my tail you immature dog," she howled in annoyance.

"I'm not immature!" he snarled.

"Yes you are," the rhino contradicted, shoving him off balance. Ming Yue tackled him and I laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"What are you doing up there?" the wolf yelped, surprised I was up so high.

"Throwing wood at you," I grinned.

"You can't do that in hide and seek," he protested. Well, it's not like there were any rules about that.

"Yes I can. I'm king of the tree," I mockingly snorted at the wolf.

"No, you're king of the kitties," my sister told me, causing the rest to burst into hysterics.

"Don't make me come down there," I threatened, flattening my ears in annoyance at her.

"Actually, you do look sort of like a kitty," Yingzi remarked, sending them, again, into peals of laughter.

"That does it," I growled, pretending to be furious. Stepping to the edge of the branch, I did a somersault, and launched myself into empty air.

"Shifu!" Baihehua yelped in fear.

Ignoring her, I felt exhilaration as I sailed from the tree, landed on the ground in a low crouch to absorb the impact. Though I'd landed perfectly, a small sharp rock stabbed into the pad of my foot and I yelped with pain at the sudden sting.

"That proves you're a kitty. Cat's always land on their feet," Ming Yue pointed out with slight amusement.

"But not on rocks," I winced, tugging the small shard from between the pads of my foot.

"Show off," the wolf teased.

"Hypocrite," my sister growled at him, giving him a leer and a small shove.

"You okay?" Baihehua asked me.

"Yep," I answered, though the cut was already throbbing.

"Oh look, a sparkly!" Ming Yue suddenly shouted, and I gaped at her in confusion.

"Are you totally insane?" Yingzi growled, chasing her. Joining in the running, I couldn't help agreeing with him.

"Tricked you," Xiongmeng snickered, taking my sister's clever distraction to push Yingzi into a pond that we'd run to.

"Oy!" he sputtered angrily and I heard the churning of water as he scrambled to the edge.

"Serves you right," the little fox taunted, swishing her tail happily along the ground.

"You have to come in too," the wolf growled, taking her tail, and yanking her in along with him.

"Eep!" she yelped, and I heard a mid size splash as she was dragged in.

"I'll save you!" Xiongmeng roared with laughter and jumped in, presumably splashing the already soaked fox.

"You retard!" she spat, coughing up water as she struggled to the surface.

"Actually, you do sort of look like a retard," I mockingly teased the wolf for saying I looked like a kitty, although I didn't know for certain if he really looked like a retard. Crouching, I bounced once onto his head, and then back to where I originally was before the slow fur ball could catch me.

"Come in. The water's great!" Xiongmeng yelled, ignoring Yingzi's angry growl. Remembering that we had never reached the pond earlier, I was tempted, but realized that they were floating in the water. It was way too deep! A sudden spasm of fear shot up my spine and I shook my head at him. If I went in, they would eventually figure out that I was blind.

Backing away from the edge of the pool to ensure I wouldn't get dragged in, I decided to admit part of the truth.

"I can't swim," I told him, shuffling my paws nervously.

Yingzi burst into laughter and I felt my ears grow hot.

"He can't swim because-" Ming Yue started before Baihehua quickly splashed water at her face. I gave her a flick of my ears in appreciation and my sister had the sense to not admit I couldn't see.

"I might drown," I finished lamely. That was the truth too, but only caused the wolf to laugh even harder.

"It's easy. Just jump in and we'll show you," Xiongmeng advised. I knew he would help if I started to drown, but it would mostly be visual and that wouldn't help for me. Shaking my head, I refused.

"Kitties don't swim," Ming Yue added and I gritted my teeth with frustration. That wasn't helping.

"We look basically the same," I protested, trying to get the others involved in the argument, and therefore forget about it.

"But you act like one," my sister smoothly said.

Hearing a slow stranger pad up behind me, I turned.

"Who might you three be?" the owner to the footsteps asked.

"I'm Shifu and I'm nine," I introduced myself yet again.

"Ming Yue, his adopted sister, eight."

"Baihehua, eight."

I grinned momentarily at their bluntness and told him, "We were waiting here to ask if you would allow us to stay at the Jade Palace." I hoped I wasn't talking to some random stranger.

"I am Master Oogway. Where are your parents?" he asked softly, but seriously.

"Our father died a long time ago of illness and mother was murdered by a wolf. Baihehua and Shifu fought him. That's why he's covered in blood," Ming Yue piped up from the pool.

"And I gave him a scar he'll never forget," I growled at her, remembering the bone deep slice I'd given his forepaw.

"I'm sorry about your parents. All three of you may stay here if you wish," he calmly continued.

"Thank you," I punched my fiat into my palm and bowed with respect.

"No need small one," he chuckled.

"I think he's a kitty," Ming Yue put in mischievously.

"Hey!" I snarled at her. She was so embarrassing! With a fake hiss, I jumped at her, swiping a hand to box her left ear and landing momentarily on her shoulders to dunk her underwater. Leaping off, I calmly waited as she thrashed to the top in an undignified matter.

"Are these your swords?" Oogway asked, noticing them a distance away. I hoped that when I had to collect them, I would not forget where they were.

"Yes," I answered him.

"I've got a new bamboo flute," my sister announced, trying to impress him. Baihehua seemed to guess what she was doing and gave her a good splash of water for her efforts.

"Hey!" she yelped, coming back up and shoving the fox away with mock anger and annoyance.

"Why are you swimming in the Pool of Sacred Tears?" Oogway calmly asked them.

"The Pool of Sacred Tears!" I exclaimed. I had no idea that I was so close to the legendary pool where Oogway had uncovered the mysteries of harmony and focus, developing the art of Kung Fu.

"Yes," he affirmed.

"Wow," I turned to the pool, wishing I was able to actually see the mystical icon of legend.

"Sorry," Ming Yue yelped with surprise and dismay, only to earn herself another splash of water from Baihehua.

"Got you," the fox giggled.

"Would you stop doing that?" she hissed.

Oogway interrupted before they would get into a play fight, "It is alright young ones. The Pool of Sacred Tears is wondrous, but it should not stop young students of its art from having fun."

They got out anyway and I flinched away as Yingzi shook his damp fur all over me, showering me in water.

"Afraid to get wet?" he mocked.

Sidling up to him, I heard him shuffle to prepare himself for what he was sure was to be an attack. Pretending to be distracted by a butterfly, I looked sharply away. As soon as he relaxed, I grabbed his nose and shoved the surprised wolf into the water again.

"I'll get you for that!" he growled, staggering out.

This time, Xiongmeng threw him in from behind and I laughed at them. The wolf was a real nuisance, but sure fun to outsmart.

"Can we train now?" the rhino asked Oogway. I felt a little thrill of excitement. I was now one of the students of the Greatest Master of Kung Fu in all of China! The rhino interrupted my thoughts, threatening, "I'm going to pound you to a pulp Yingzi!"

"No please no," he waved his paws sarcastically.

"You asked for it," the rhino growled, lunging at the wolf, who neatly dodged away.

"Actually, I didn't," he remarked.

Baihehua gave a small snort of laughter and I waited impatiently as they tussled with each other.

"If you two are quite finished…" Ming Yue sighed.

"Not quite, but we will finish it," Xiongmeng thundered with amusement at Yingzi.

"I have already set up something to test your skills," Oogway told us.


	3. Life Among Friends

Wanting to exercise the energy out of my legs, I said, "Let's race." This would be fun and I was sure I could get the better of that wolf this way.

"Oh yeah," Baihehua barked, pawing at the ground anxiously.

"No way! I'm probably going to lose," Ming Yue protested, though I knew that wasn't true. She didn't always have very much confidence.

"I'll race you if you'll race me," the rhino pleaded and I grinned with amusement at his begging.

"Oh fine," she grumbled.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," I assured her, "This is just for fun anyway." I flicked my ears encouragingly.

"And I will beat you personally," Yingzi barked, shoving the rhino off balance.

"Only because you can't beat me with anything else," he growled back.

"Alright, when I say go. I'll carry your swords and your flute down," he told us.

"Thank you," Ming Yue and I said.

"Three, two, one, go," he called.

As the others began to race down the trail, I spiraled down through the air. Everything made me feel supercharged and I let myself fall as fast as I could. Sensing I was close to the ground, I did a quick series of flips to slow myself down, and landed hard on the stairs. I gave a yelp of pain as it bruised my feet. That was definitely not a good idea. The hard landing vibrated through my legs and I could only stand for a couple minutes, waiting for it to go away. Finally, I sprinted to skid into the courtyard as the sound of laughter and voices drew closer.

"I win," I called up, but knew from their shouting that it was unnecessary. They had all seen me jump off the cliff.

"Never do that again," Ming Yue panted with fear, "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"Who, me?" I widened my eyes innocently and Yingzi began to snort with uncontrollable laughter.

"Wow," Xiongmeng admiringly boomed.

"I can't believed it," Baihehua barked, "That had to be one of the coolest things ever!"

"Beat you Xiongmeng," Yingzi growled, punching the rhino lightly in an attempt at humor.

"Oh, go run off a cliff and don't land on your feet, you pompous windbag!" the rhino grumbled, but I could tell he was trying to start a play fight.

"What did you just call me?" the wolf spluttered and I chuckled at the incredulous tone he asked him with.

"I said you are a pompous windbag! You need your ears checked you coughed up hairball," the rhino continued, trying unsuccessfully to hold back his growing hysterics.

"Why, you-" Yingzi snarled, beginning to stalk him.

"Stop that before you eat each other," Ming Yue protested.

"He would taste like crap," Xiongmeng mockingly snorted.

"Hey!" Yingzi yelped, jumping on him and rolling him about the ground, boxing him lightly.

"Hmhmhm, do you want to train now?" Oogway asked and I flicked my ears toward him with surprise. Usually I could hear it if I was paying attention and anyone approached. He leaned Ming Yue's flute and my swords against the wall and walked over to the side of us. Yingzi and Xiongmeng immediately scrambled up and the wolf barked a high note.

"That's it?" he yelped in disbelief. Scratching furiously, he growled, "We're training with that thing!"

"Yes. Try to nock it back a yard or so. It is harder than it looks, so don't underestimate it," Oogway replied, and settled down on the courtyard tiles to watch. What was that wolf so upset about? All I could scent was a very heavy type of wood and painted canvas. I moved a little farther back behind the group and waited for my sister to join me as I beckoned her.

"What?" she asked, silently slipping over to whisper in my ear.

"What are we training with that's got that wolf's tongue in a knot?" I said back to her.

"It's a dummy maybe four feet tall and several yards away, slightly to your left," she replied, taking my arm and turning me in the right direction. I gave her a small nod of gratitude, and she brushed her long tail against my hand. Stepping back, I hoped that when it was my turn, I wouldn't embarrass myself.

"So…who wants to go first?" Ming Yue asked them.

"I guess I'll go," Yingzi sighed, sounding very bored at this point. I agreed with him there. This did seem like a very boring piece of training equipment, but I respected Oogway too much to say that aloud.

Obnoxiously, the wolf slunk up to it very slowly, before slamming a fist into it, as hard as he could. I was impressed with his strength, but then it slammed off the ground and hit the surprised wolf head on.

"Yeow!" he yelped as it hit him into a wall with a hard smacking noise. I don't think he broke anything though. That had to hurt…

"You look funny upside down," Baihehua yipped, bursting into sharp laughing barks behind a muffling paw.

"Shut up," he groaned, picking himself painfully up off the ground and limping over to us. He sat on the ground and grumbled something about incompetent she-dogs. I glared at him warningly. I liked this little fox and he would not be allowed to insult her. She was next and pranced by him, flicking her tail naughtily in his face.

"Ha!" Baihehua backed up and sprang to hit the base as hard as she could with a a soft little hind foot. I winced. Couldn't she tell that there was a very heavy wooden weight inside?

"Uh-oh," Ming Yue whispered to me, interpreting what was going to happen next.

"Owwwweee!" the little fox screeched, and began to hop in agony on three feet. Racing around madly, whimpering in her pain, she wobbled off balance and crashed straight into Yingzi. Xiongmeng gave a loud snort of laughter as the wolf yelped in surprise. Even Ming Yue and I couldn't help laughing at the ridiculous scene.

"Are you okay?" I asked, slightly worried.

"Yes, I'm fine, except my paw hurts now…" she sighed.

"Good. Get off me!" the wolf growled, shaking her off and ruffling his coat to appear as if he had not been so undignified as to be bowled over by a fox.

"I'll avenge you fallen warrior!" the rhino bellowed joyfully to her, laughing all the while.

"Don't count on it! You two suck!" she yelled back, but I was relieved when she couldn't help joining in the merriment. Xiongmeng growled and thundered at the dummy, giving it a body slam with all his force. I groaned at him. Feeling nothing to hold him back, he flopped over the dummy with a grunt of surprise.

"I could have warned you…"I sighed in an inaudible tone.

"Drat," he grumbled as he picked himself off the ground and everyone else burst into hysterics.

"You so did not save me," Baihehua put in helpfully. This caused Xiongmeng to burst into roaring laughter at her mock-disappointed tone and Yingzi to attack her, sending the little fox rolling happily in the dust.

Waiting for the tussle to calm down, Ming Yue pranced past them. Her tail curled around and up slightly, but I knew she was nervous rather than excited.

"Go sis!" I shouted, giving her a slight not of encouragement. Crouching low, she sprang high into the air, trying to do a somersault as she grabbed the top. I stood perplexed as I realized she was attempting to flip it. The plan would have carried out perfectly if she wasn't so light. As it were, the dummy did not budge from the ground, and instead, flipped her forward t the ground, and then back into its upright position. She had already let go by the time she hit the ground.

She gave a little gasp of pain as she hit her nose hard on the ground. Sitting up, she began to rub at it. I knew it wasn't serious, not even bleeding, so I guessed it had mostly wounded her pride. At that thought, I couldn't help snorting with amusement.

"What's so funny?" she growled at me, acting annoyed, and flouncing off to sit by Yingzi. Now it was my turn…

"Take it down, bro. Don't get beat down," Xiongmeng advised and I momentarily wondered what he would do if I attacked him.

Instead, I just growled, "Oh, shut it."

Turning slightly to my left, I raced at it and leapt with my foot out. As my foot connected with its top, I used my arms to propel myself to the ground to avoid its attack. I had that part figured, but now what? As it leaned quickly closer to me, I instinctively lashed out at the base, sending the off balance dummy approximately a yard back.

"Well done," Oogway praised me. Then, turning to the others also, he asked, "Would you all like to have a small tournament?"

"Sure," I grinned. That wolf would certainly get a hard surprise from me.

"I am so going to kick your butt Yingzi," Baihehua barked, before adding with a mocking air, "Again."

"Bring it on," he growled back.

"As you seem so thrilled, Baihehua and Yingzi can fight as Xiongmeng and Ming Yue fight. Each of you will be given a bamboo combat pole. The object of this game is to deliver a blow to your opponent, that had it been a sword, would kill in battle. And for fun, if your limb is hit, pretend to be wounded and don't use it," Oogway instructed and paused slightly before adding, "and please do not use unnecessary violence."

"I'll go easy on you small one," Xiongmeng growled playfully at my sister.

"Sounds like you're scared," she teased and he gave a small snort of amused annoyance.

"Begin," Oogway commanded. Listening carefully to their styles of fighting, I learned that the fox, Baihehua, relied on her cleverness, Yingzi on his speed, Xiongmeng on his strength, and Ming Yue on her agility. Yingzi managed to win, as well as Ming Yue within a few minutes.

"Got you," Yingzi exclaimed victoriously.

"I'll get you later," the fox warned.

"You'll get something from me," he snorted, pointedly punching a fist into his palm. I grinned with amusement as she stomped on his foot, causing him to yelp in a very high tone.

"Looks like you had reason to be afraid," Ming Yue taunted the rhino.

"Only afraid that I would accidentally step on you," he flashed back and I rolled my eyes. Were all the guys so immature and joking?

"Don't you try it," my sister hissed warningly.

"Yingzi and Shifu will fight as Xiongmeng and Baihehua do," Oogway announced.

"You're going down fur ball," Yingzi snarled, advancing on me.

"Save me the pleasure and just do it for me," I contemptuously told him with a drawling tone. Baihehua burst into hysterics in the background. Flattening my ears and smirking at the wolf, I reached up to catch a pole that Oogway threw to me. Trying not to look as if I mostly relied on my hearing, I casually slid my feet along the ground. Since it was summer, I wasn't wearing shoes and could therefore, feel the vibrations in the ground a lot easier.

"Go," the tortoise called above the giggling and trading of insults.

Rushing at him, I ducked beneath his pole, but instead of slipping under him as he expected, I grabbed his arm, swung through a space, and landed on his head, tapping his leg before jumping off. I decided to have fun with him. Crouching low, the wolf growled and shot towards me on three legs. As I leapt up, he anticipated the move and jumped too. He was unprepared and astonished when I flipped my legs into the air above my head like a handstand and pulled the tip of his pole hard. As he came closer and I threw his pole away, we landed, with me pinning his arm down.

"Humph!" he grunted as the air was knocked out of him and I tapped my pole down on his back. Ignoring him as he got up angrily, I listened to Baihehua and Xiongmeng still fighting. He was a lot stronger, but as he pinned her by laying on her and was about to tap her head, she flicked her tail against his nose.

"Aatchoo!" he sneezed and rolled off her momentarily. She hit him then.

"I win," the fox barked happily.

"I let you win," the rhino joked, sneezing again.

"Did not," she protested.

"Did too. Anyway, I'm the strongest anyway," he replied, suddenly finding a new way to amuse himself: arguing with Baihehua.

"No you're not, so shut up," Yingzi added to their conversation with a sniff of disdain. Putting my pole behind his left leg and in front of his right without touching them, I pushed the right back.

"If you were half as good as you thought you were, you would be twice as good as you are," I snorted as he stumbled and fell heavily on his side, much to the amusement of the others.

"Yingzi will fight Ming Yue and Baihehua will fight Shifu,: Oogway announced, quickly stopping a fight before it was to begin.

The fox flitted up to me and gave a little bark, "I won't let you beat me so easily." Padding a paw playfully at me, she made as if to scratch.

Grabbing the paw and elbow, I twisted softly so she was flipped painlessly onto her back. "Ah, so you will be letting me win then?" I teased.

"Not a chance," she laughed.

"Good," I replied curtly. I didn't want to win this because she allowed me to. That would defeat the purpose entirely.

"Go," Oogway laughed, sounding like he was amused by our exchanging of insults.

To my surprise, she began to swish her pole rapidly in a circle, throwing dust up around us. I sneezed and heard her keep still, pinpointing the noise, and realized that she was trying to make it so that I would not be able to see her sneak up on me. That was a clever idea…but that wouldn't work on me. Taking a couple handfuls of dust, I threw them to the left to look and hear like footsteps. She took the bait and I leapt high into the air, ready to land where I knew she would arrive.

"What the-?" she muttered, still swirling her pole and sounding confused not to find me. Thundering down on her shoulders, I swirled the scratchy dust out of the way and flicked her good-naturedly on the back of her head.

"Not so easy, eh?" I gloated a little before tapping her softly with my pole on the back of her neck.

"Get off, fur ball!" Baihehua growled with mock annoyance, pulling me off by my tail with one swift motion.

"Hey," I growled, landing with an undignified thump on my back.

"Serves you right," she sniffed, making Yingzi and Xiongmeng burst into raucous laughter. Even Ming Yue could not suppress a giggle. Embarrassed, I shook the dust out of my fur and jumped to my feet. Scraping all the dignity I could together, I stalked over to the side.

"Yingzi and Xiongmeng will fight as Baihehua and Ming Yue do," the turtle proclaimed. Concentrating on Ming Yue's fight, I listened as Baihehua shifted into a battle stance, determined not to be won over by another red panda.

"Bring it sister," Ming Yue growled to the fox.

"I got beat by your brother, but I won't to you," she growled.

"Go," Oogway sighed.

As the fight progressed, I heard a hiss of anger and my sister limping as she and her pole were thrown to the ground. Thrusting my ears forwards aggressively, I knew that if the fox had hurt her, she would pay! Even if she was a friend, she still couldn't hurt her. To my surprise, as Baihehua lunged at her, she delivered a swift kick with the leg I thought was injured and hit the retrieved her pole, hitting the stunned fox with it. Clever! She had faked it well.

"Hey!" the fox yelped in surprise, getting up and shaking the dust from her fur.

"Beat you," Ming Yue trilled, unable to disguise her delight. Baihehua giggled a little and pounced on her as she turned away to watch the others fighting. As they tussled happily, I listened to Yingzi and Xiongmeng. The fight was still proceeding.

"Ha!" the rhino laughed triumphantly, striking Yinzi, but to my surprise, the fight wasn't over. He must have not struck him a fake fatal blow.

"Ow!" he growled with mock amusement. "You cut my arm off…" he sighed, pretending to be disappointed.

"Thanks Xiongmeng!" I helpfully put in. These two statements caused the rhino to burst into hysterics and fall over with laughter.

"Beat you again, rhino," Yingzi crowed, tapping him on the neck.

"No fair," he protested.

"Never be distracted," the wolf smartly said back.

"Shut it, flea bag," Xiongmeng growled jokingly, swiping at the wolf, who stepped back.

"I don't have fleas!" Yingzi protested, slightly angry. Crouching, he growled and I could tell he was preparing to attack.

"I've arranged this tournament so that you all fight each other once. The winner will be whoever defeats the most opponents. Now, all except Xiongmeng and Shifu may rest. Then, Shifu will fight Ming Yue," Oogway addressed us. Thirsty and a little tired, I felt relieved that this would soon be done.

"Ready puffball?" Xiongmeng rumbled teasingly.

"Did you just call me puffball?" I threateningly asked.

"Yes, can't you hear me?" he chuckled. I growled and flattened my ears at him. He was amusing as a new friend, but could be very annoying.

"Go," Oogway called.

Feeling him charge at me, I stood still. His uncertainty told me he was confused, but I willed him to continue.

"Are you afraid?" I asked.

Responding with a snort, he ran at me. Turning away swiftly, I ducked beneath him, through his legs, and flipping his pole away. As he went to fetch it, I grabbed it too, throwing it behind me. Angry, he threw a punch at me and I grabbed his wrist. Too surprised to pull back, he stood still. I poked his throat and released him.

"Go Shifu!" Baihehua cheered happily.

""Oy!" the rhino protested.

"Mmph!" she replied and I grinned. I do believe she stuck her tongue out at him.

"That was so mature," he sarcastically said.

"I know," she pertly replied.

"Now, Ming Yue and Shifu will fight," Oogway said. To my surprise, I could feel him get more interested in our fight and take a couple steps closer.

"Do I have to fight him? I think he's already won anyway," my sister began, trembling nervously. The others began to laugh, thinking she was scared of me, and I whipped around to growl at them; though, in fact, I was annoyed at her. She wasn't scared of me, but worried she would hurt me or betray my secret.

Oogway said nothing, but I knew he had nodded. "You scared?" Xiongmeng chuckled.

She said nothing and I humorously told her, "Pretend I'm Yingzi." I really hoped she wouldn't go easy on me. There was no point in winning if she didn't try.

"Hey," Yingzi protested, but I ignored him. Ming Yue had hearing a lot better than the others, though not as good as mine. Still, I was able to whisper to her without anyone else hearing.

"Don't hold back. You know I am perfectly capable of defending myself. Let's make this fun," I whispered, smirking so she would realize my meaning.

"We can show them one heck of a party," she answered in a low voice, smiling too. I knew she was still nervous, but would not hold back if it made me unhappy. Again, I thought how lucky I was to have such a loving sister.

"Go," Oogway said. For a moment neither of us moved. Then, we arced at each other in fast movement. Parrying with my pole, I realized she must have been learning tricks from me when she had watched me train. Leaning down to duck, I left a purposeful gap in my defenses. As she lunged at my unprotected back when I blocked her blows at my legs, I swung on my arms. She jumped to avoid me, thinking it was a trip, but I kicked her pole, sending it in the opposite direction of her. Before she could land, I ran closer, somersaulted, tripped her feet from her, and gave her throat a gentle tap.

"Hey," she protested as she landed heavily on her side.

"Sorry," I murmured, walking over and reaching out to help her up. As she stood, I grinned apologetically at her. She chuckled and I brightened, glad she wasn't really mad.

"Congratulations," the old turtle told me, but I sensed that he was distracted. I flicked my ears nervously. Did I do something wrong?

"Can we go swimming now?" Yingzi hopefully asked Oogway.

"Yes," he answered.

"Come on," Baihehua barked, leading the way up the twisting mountain. Sighing I ran up the mountain as I did last time. Catching the crevices, I sped up the side, reaching the Pool of Sacred Tears, or now, the swimming pool, apparently.

Baihehua, Ming Yue, and Xiongmeng arrived, out of breath, as well as Yingzi, who began to sneak around them and hide. I could scent his barely contained mischief and wondered what he was doing.

"Where's Yingzi?" my sister finally panted. I opened my mouth to tell her, but closed it and stood still in surprise as the wolf cannoned into her.

"Got you!" he excitedly yelped, causing them both to tumble into the water.

"You creep!" she yowled, trying to laugh and cough up water at the same time. She wasn't very successful at it.

"Graar!" Xiongmeng roared, jumping in and splashing more water on both of them.

Walking closer, I settled comfortably into the soft grass to listen to them play. Baihehua came over to sit uncomfortably close to me. Wanting to move away and cause mischief, I listened for Yingzi's voice.

"Nice water," he was commenting, sitting a little to the left of right in front of me. Pretending to be looking somewhere else, I quickly turned and jumped on his head. Before he could do anything, I shoved him under and jumped away.

"Come back here," Xiongmeng playfully growled, reaching over to catch my foot. With a yelp of surprise, I twisted swiftly, bending his elbow quickly with my hands, so I landed on his shoulders. Jumping to a void Yingzi and the rhino, I landed at the edge again.

"Get over here, scaredy cat," the wolf teased me.

"I told you I can't swim," I told him, sitting down in the grass away from the edge so that I wouldn't get pulled in. Baihehua jumped in with a splash, showering the wolf with water in means to distract him.

"I can teach you," Xiongmeng pleaded.

"No," I shook my head ruefully as I said this. He was trying to help, but he couldn't teach me to swim.

"Look, you sort of paddle like this," the wolf said, splashing the water. I strained my ears, but couldn't tell what he was doing. Fumbling for something to say, I twitched my tail lightly. I couldn't avoid the visual actions he was doing, but I could maybe distract them like last time.

"He just doesn't like to swim. Lay off," Ming Yue growled, catching my signal. Swiping a box at his head, she gave a squeak of surprise as he bowled her under the water. Hey fought for a few minutes and I moved forward, into a patch of sunlight. Sighing, I wondered how I could hold off telling them forever and curled into a tired ball of fur. I was nearly asleep when Yingzi caught me.

"Hey!" I yelped as he grabbed my tail and dragged me in too fast for me to struggle away. That hurt! My next sensation was of having no idea where I was or where up and down were. Water filled my nose and mouth and I began to choke. Panicked, I struggled to find a way out of this wet tomb with no air. Gagging on the water, I knew I was drowning. My lungs were on fire and my muscles were numbing and throbbing with pain. Finally, my mind went numb and I closed my eyes.


	4. Training with Oogway

I was about ready to give up when my sister pulled me out of the water and up to the bank.

"You idiot! H could have drowned," Ming Yue snarled and I could feel Baihehua pushing on my chest with her front paws. Water streamed from my mouth and nose. Coughing, I rolled onto my side, still feeling groggy and as if my throat was on fire. I was glad I had not drowned like this. It would have been such a stupid way to die, and leave my mother's murderer unpunished and Ming Yue without me.

"He wasn't paying any attention to what we were saying! He just kept moving around under the water…" the wolf protested, and I realized how strange that must have looked; me, struggling just a few feet under the surface of the water.

"Yingzi shouldn't have done that, but Shifu really wasn't coming up for some reason," Xiongmeng muttered, confused.

"Maybe he got trapped on a root," Baihehua suggested and I felt gratitude for her still attempting to keep my secret. I guessed they wouldn't buy that though and I would have to tell them the truth.

"What is going on?" Oogway asked, climbing to the top of the hill. I could tell he was very worried and confused. Spitting out the last of the water, I sat up. The little fox smelled relieved and pressed her warm fur against me.

"Yingzi pulled Shifu into the pool and nearly drowned him," Ming Yue growled angrily and the wise turtle didn't seem angry, only understanding and curious.

"He was faking! He wouldn't com out from under the water," Yingzi protested. Snarling angrily, she ran to approach him from the left side. I then knew she must have given him a sharp right hook in his jaw. He yelped and I heard his head snap back and he crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Enough. Yingzi, you should not have pulled him in like that. He is blind and that is therefore, why he was drowning," Oogway unexpectedly said. Glaring up at him, I stopped myself from hissing in outrage. This was not his secret to tell! If he wasn't the greatest Kung Fu master in all of China and if I didn't still feel so weak and shaky, I might have hit him.

"Wow," Xiongmeng said and I was surprised to sense that he was amazed rather than astonished. Baihehua sighed and rested her tail sympathetically across my hand on the ground.

"What…the…crap?" Yingzi growled, thoroughly confused and annoyed. I rolled my eyes. This wasn't a joke. Waiting for Oogway to explain, I turned to him. He seemed to sense my unspoken question and answered it.

"Hmmm. Little one, I know you tried to keep it a secret. You did it very well, in fact; however, it fits in with the way you fight, that you don't always move your eyes reflexively, and why you wouldn't swim. I also realized it at first because…well, you wouldn't know, but I have never heard of a red panda with blue eyes, nor have I seen one until now," he sighed.

"Why didn't you tell us man? It just makes you so much cooler…I mean, none of us could do that stuff if we were… Well, you know," Xiongmeng shyly said.

Turning back to him, I growled in a slightly hoarse voice, "That's why I didn't tell you. This would normally be considered a handicap for a warrior, and just because of what I can do with it, I shouldn't be special. Nobody would ever treat me without a sickening sympathy in my village, and the way everyone tried disgusted me." Turning to Oogway, I added as they stood in ashamed silence, "Also, I thought you would never let me train to be a warrior if you knew."

"As I said, I already knew from the beginning. Anyway, I could tell that you were not the type to come here only to embarrass yourself," he told me with a soft chuckle.

Silently, I assessed their emotions again. Ming Yue was sad that I was mad, Baihehua was worried that we would fight, Xiongmeng was ashamed that he had angered me, Yingzi was angry at me for causing this trouble, and Oogway seemed to have shielded his emotions somehow, and I realized, most of his emotions I felt were through his speech.

"You're still a great Kung Fu warrior, no matter what," the little fox told me and I was once again amazed at how much she seemed to consider me as a friend though she had only met me this morning.

"Who's got a boyfriend?" Yingzi maliciously teased and I growled angrily. He now hated me and since the incident was over, he was trying to embarrass both of us. To my surprise though, I realized that it might be true for her.

"You do," I retorted as Baihehua shuffled her paws in embarrassment.

"I'm going to get you, little pipsqueak!" he snarled furiously, lunging at me.

"Loser," my sister teased, getting over her anger at me once she realized I was okay now. Catching him as he flew by, she threw him to the side. Sneaking quietly up behind him, I flicked my ears at Xiongmeng.

"She does have a point," he quickly told the wolf, immediately noticing that I wanted him to distract the wolf. It worked and he began to stalk angrily to him. Drawing back a fist, I jumped up and gave a mighty blow to his ear as hard as I could, grinning at the loud smacking noise.

"Ow!" he howled in pain, grasping his ear. "So not cool!" he wailed.

"You shouldn't insult yourself like that. It's bad for your self esteem," I teased, circling him as he whirled, trying to catch me.

"Get over here," he growled.

"Although, we all know that your self esteem is way too high as it is," I added mockingly, swiveling the opposite direction as he went and gave a sharp smack to his other ear. Baihehua giggled, Ming Yue burst into laughter, and Xiongmeng fell on the ground in a hysterical fit. As I ran around the enraged wolf, they sobered up and the rhino yawned.

"Who's hungry?" he interrupted.

"Show off," the wolf snarled under his breath as he tried to shoulder paste me. Ducking, I simply allowed him to tumble over me and drop in the dust.

"Come on," Oogway laughed and beckoned us. I hoped he wouldn't treat me any different than the others now that he knew that I couldn't see. As they walked down to the courtyard so we could go in the building near it for lunch, I went faster and retrieved my swords and Ming Yue's flute before coming back. When I arrived, I gave it to her. Baihehua came up next to me and I noticed my sister drop farther back. Those two seemed uncomfortable around each other for some reason now. They used to be friends, but I wondered since when?

"Hi," she shyly said and I flicked my ears in surprise. Did she want something? "Well, as long as you're busy with her, I think I'll take Ming Yue," Yingzi snorted at me, throwing a challenging malice into his words.

"I'm not busy with anyone," I growled, flattening my ears as they turned hot with embarrassment. "Ming Yue's my sister and Baihehua is her friend," I protested. They were both nice, I guess, for girls, but Ming Yue was my sister, though I guess she wasn't biologically. The little fox was sweet, but she was only a friend. To my annoyance, Xiongmeng burst out into laughter, until Baihehua socked him. She seemed embarrassed too, as well as Ming Yue. I could tell the little fox had feelings, but I suddenly realized they were for the rhino. She was trying to be close to me either because she was too shy to tell him and wanted me to or she was trying to make him jealous.

"Ow…you killed me," Xiongmeng mockingly growled to the fox, falling on his side for theatrics.

"Oh, get up," she growled good-naturedly.

"Stop!" Ming Yue snarled, shoving Yingzi away. Confused, I turned toward them, not yet realizing what had happened.

"What?" he growled, licking her cheek before she could retaliate. Amused at the fact that he didn't expect to get hit for that made me chuckle a little.

"She's going to get you for that," I told him with a twitch of my tail in amusement.

"Never do that again," she warned him. Her hands must have been behind her back and she looked unready, because he couldn't resist trying it again. Whipping around, she gave a mighty backhanded slam with her flute, smacking him in the nose. He gave a loud howl of pain, but I knew it wasn't serious.

"You're going to pay for that, fur ball," he roared, attacking her. She stayed well out of his way, and I set my swords on the ground and sat down to listen to their fight.

"Yiiiii!" she squealed loudly and I snarled as I scented blood. With one of his canine teeth, he had bitten her.

"You should have been quicker little dancer," he snarled.

"You bit my ear!" she protested.

"Man, you rally didn't have to that," Xiongmeng protested.

"Are you okay?" Baihehua worriedly asked Ming Yue. Furious, I gave a ferocious snarl of rage. Dashing as fast as I could, I took him by surprise. Leaping into the air, I gave him a right hook in his jaw. He yelped in pain, but I wasn't through with him for hurting my sister like that. As he flew back into the air, I twisted quickly and slammed my right foot so hard into his rear end that I sent him through the gates and down the steps to the Jade Palace. Still enraged, I coldly glared after him as he bounced, screeching, down the hill.

"Shifu!" Oogway shouted angrily. Surprised out of my anger, I turned to him. So far, I had never heard him shout. To my bewilderment, he seemed impressed, though angry.

Picking my swords up, I flattened my ears slightly, but growled, "I'm sorry, but he really did deserve that."

"I did warn him, but then he continued," Ming Yue added in agreement and I glanced worriedly at her. Was she hurt?

"Don't worry Shifu. It hurts a little, but he only nicked it. He was really angry," she murmured and I realized that her fear scent was because I had tackled him when he was so enraged.

"Just…do not do it again. You mustn't fight amongst yourselves like that," the old tortoise told me seriously.

"Yes Master," I sighed, but if that wolf did anything like that again, he would certainly not be able to expect mercy. Oogway headed for the Jade Palace and I guessed he was going to prepare lunch. Once he left, I went to my sister. She had been speaking the truth. The little nick had nearly stopped bleeding, but I guessed it must hurt more than she admitted.

"My parents used to be traveling doctors. I think she should be all right and it won't get infected or anything as long as it doesn't get wet for a while, though we have to wash this blood off," Baihehua told me.

"I'll go to ask one of the ducks to show me where the bathroom I so that I can wash it," Ming Yue said and left.

"Yingzi did deserve that," Xiongmeng laughed suddenly and I grinned.

"Hmmm, are we supposed to wait for him or something?" I asked.

"Or something," he replied before adding, "High five," and lifting his arm in the air.

"Um," Baihehua flicked her ears as I paused.

"Oh, sorry…" he mumbled.

Locating his hand, I grinned and jumped up to high five him anyway.

"You rock man," he laughed. Suddenly remembering something about Baihehua, I paused before speaking.

"Hey Xiongmeng, can you watch for Yingzi? I have to ask Baihehua something," I told him.

"Sure," he replied, curious, but not prying.

"What's up?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably from side to side as I led her far enough away that we wouldn't be overheard.

"I don't know if you want me to tell him of if you're trying to make him jealous, but either tell me to tell him or tell him yourself," I curtly told her and she froze with surprise and fear.

"Tell him what?" she stammered, and I growled slightly.

"You can pretend you don't know, but not to me," I sighed, and I knew the little fox could tell what I meant.

"I will tell him," Baihehua murmured.

"What are you afraid of? I know you're not afraid of me," I curiously asked.

"How can Xiongmeng and I ever be together?" she whispered and I sighed.

"Look, if he truly loves you too, he won't care. Anyway, don't you think you two are a little young to be thinking about this right now? Also, you just met the guy," I said. This was true and I hoped that if they did want to be a couple, their relationship wouldn't dissolve, as they got older.

"I suppose," she agreed, "but I think I'll ask him to think about it. He's so sweet and funny…" she sighed and I rolled my eyes at her mooning over him.

Walking over to Xiongmeng, I felt his curiosity overwhelm me. "Baihehua would like to talk to you," I began.

"Shifu, I'm going to kill you!" Yingzi suddenly roared, stumbling up the mountain. Pain scent came off of him in waves and I didn't flinch from him.

"Yingzi, stop! What you did to his sister was wrong," the rhino growled at him, surprising me. The wolf replied with an angry snarl, but when he realized we were all ganged up against him, he slunk away toward the kitchen where Oogway was cooking.

"What did you want to tell me?" Xiongmeng asked the little fox curiously and she fidgeted before I gave her a short nod of encouragement.

"Come with me," Baihehua softly barked and I felt the rhino's gaze turn to me as if asking what she wanted to talk about. She had already turned away so I mouthed the silent words 'you'll see.'

As they left, I wearily walked after Yingzi, and wondered if I should have been so hasty to do that to him. I was unprepared when he attacked. A wide paw flashed out and slammed into my head. Stunned, I had no time to yelp in pain before he punched me in the stomach, making me gasp for breath. He pinned me quickly and efficiently with my knees beneath me and my arms crossed, and against the ground so I lay there.

"You took my dignity and you will pay for that," he growled quietly. I refused to yell for help. I could handle this dog on my own. Before he could hit me again, bit his paw. He yelped and tried to bite me back. Grinning, I ducked my head and slammed the top of it directly into his temple, effectively knocking him unconscious. Shoving his limp body off of me, I realized Xiongmeng and Baihehua approaching, both of them pleased and happy.

"Shifu, what happened?" the fox yelped, hurrying over. Standing up, I growled.

"I took his dignity apparently and he tried to pay me back. Don't worry, he's only unconscious," I added.

"Should we get Oogway to see if he's okay?" Xiongmeng asked.

"Ungh…" he groaned.

"Nah, he's waking up," I sighed. To the wolf, I decided to talk to him once he regained his senses. That didn't take long considering he didn't have much to begin with. "Yingzi, just leave me alone and I'll leave you alone," I curtly told him. Before he could snap anything back, we all pointedly turned our backs on him and left. I picked up my swords to warn him not to start another fight and headed to the kitchen. Sulkily, the wolf followed us.

"So, what have you all been up to, hmm?" Oogway asked, but I could tell he didn't want or expect us to tell him.

"Nothing," I smoothly said, and the others neither agreed nor disagreed with me. Oogway went back to spreading the food out on the table and I inhaled the scents happily. The food must be really good! Ming Yue seemed very curious as to what we had been doing and annoyed that we had been gone so long. I mouthed 'I'll tell you later.'

"Enjoy," Oogway told me, setting a heaping bowl of dumplings, plate of noodles, and cups of tea on the table. We ate without talking much and I savored the food. Even the tea was great! Yawning, I fluffed my fur out a little to make me warmer and closed my eyes after yawning sleepily. The others burst out into hysterical laughter and I realized even Oogway was chuckling. Confused, I glared at them.

"You look like a kitty when you fluff your fur up," Baihehua explained before laughing again. Irritated, I flattened my fur and sighed.

"Well, I could go for a nap too," Xiongmeng said happily.

"Oh, no you don't," Yingzi growled, and pulled his chair out from under him. They tackled each other, none of their original hostility showing. I knew Baihehua and Xiongmeng were a little annoyed at, but not angry at Yingzi. Ming Yue didn't even seem angry. Only him and I hated each other. I still hadn't forgiven him for hurting my sister.

"Come, we must train now," Oogway chuckled, turning and beckoning us down the hallways.

"Enough," Baihehua giggled, pulling them apart, and we all followed the tortoise. Eventually, he stopped and I waited for further instructions.

"I will work separately with each of you for nearly a quarter of an hour. The rest of you will practice on my training course. By the end of the week, I want you all to be able to go twenty seconds without getting three mistakes for four obstacles," he told us, plodding into the new room.

"If this is anything like that bouncy sack…" Yingzi trailed off in a grumble, and I, unfortunately, had to agree with him there.

"Oh, lighten up," I sighed, trying to sound humorous as I shoved him playfully. Maybe I could get him to at least be friends with me though I never could be a friend with him. Instead, he punched my shoulder hard and I growled. Before we could continue our fight, I was distracted as Oogway opened the door.

"Omigosh!" Baihehua exclaimed loudly, gasping in awe.

"Scaredy cat," the rhino teased her and I wondered at his question.

"Of what?" I asked.

"I knew you'd get used to being called kitty," Ming Yue trilled in a teasing tone, pretending she had thought I was answering Xiongmeng's comment because I thought it was directed at me.

"Okay. Stop with the kitty jokes!" I growled, tackling her. She grabbed hold of me and began to fake pummel me with her feet. Growling with amusement, I pinned her with the advantage of size though she was quick.

"Aagh, you're squashing me," she teased.

"Give up?" I asked. In response, she flicked her tail against my nose. I sneezed and she took the distraction to pin me down with her feet on my legs and her hands around my wrists, and I was surprised at her sudden strength. Struggling under her, I realized she wouldn't budge. Xiongmeng, Baihehua, and Yingzi laughed as I lay there with annoyance.

"No," she answered my question. Finally, I lay limp and growled at her. The moment she relaxed, I did a summersault under her, landing on her back and turning to pin her down again.

"Got you back!" Yingzi cried, aiming a leap at me. Ducking, I grinned as he sailed over me, yet landed on his feet again.

"Nice try," I chuckled.

"Let me up now," Ming Yue crossly put in, annoyed at having been beaten.

"Do you give up?" I asked.

"Fine," she sighed, and I let her up.

"If you all are quite done, I will introduce you to each obstacle," Oogway dryly and tactfully put in. Wow, he was usually so serious…Scenting the air, I shook my head slightly in confusion at the scents of wood, fire, metal, rock, fear, and excitement.

"Way awesome," the wolf growled happily, for once, thoroughly cheered at the prospect of a good challenge.

"The Gator Gauntlet will test your reflexes as the wooden warriors swing their metal studded arms and tail at you. Do not let your guard down. Also, I want you to go through them very slowly. Once you get started, you'll see why," the tortoise warned, moving on.

"I'll kill those gators before they can say 'ouch'," Xiongmeng growled and I laughed a little at him teasing the wooden warriors.

"The Swinging Claws are more difficult. Keep your balance on the wooden twirling snakes, but make sure to remember to dodge the clubs that swing at you as well. Do not focus on one part and do not punch the clubs," Oogway told us.

"Woof," Baihehua growled at the challenge and I knew that she would be great at this since she was so nimble. I wondered momentarily if I was even tall enough to get hit by the clubs.

"In the Field of Flames, you must sense the ground below you and use your instincts to guide you away from the fiery geysers below. This will test your reflexes, but I strongly advise you don't start this now. It may burn you," Oogway seriously said, but I guessed they would try anyway.

"Aagh!" Yingzi yelped as he put his face too close and singed his whiskers. I snorted, trying not to laugh, though Xiongmeng wasn't as successful. The wolf ignored us, however.

"The Jade Tortoise is a slippery bowl that you must keep careful balance on. Normally, arrows will shoot at you, but I will not load them into the wooden machine. You can fight each other for a while on it instead," Oogway added.

"What's next?" Ming Yue excitedly asked, shifting from foot to foot and swishing her tail impatiently.

"The Seven Talon Rings are suspended from the rafters. I trust most of you will go slowly as you swing on them and avoid the spikes," the tortoise continued.

"What are they like?" I asked Ming Yue in a quiet whisper. Though the other things I could handle, I knew I needed a little info help on these.

"I can show you how high they are later. The talons are about four in-" she started and was cut off as Oogway waved a hand to silence her. He must have seen us talking, but I wondered why he didn't want us to talk.

"Shifu, I don't want you to practice on those until you can memorize where the beams and the blades are," he worriedly advised me. Yingzi gave a snort of laughter and I wished the tortoise hadn't seen us. I wasn't going to miss out on any training, especially with Yingzi making fun of me for it.

"Can we start now?" Baihehua interrupted, bouncing up and down happily, until Xiongmeng playfully knocked her over.

"Yes, yes," Oogway laughed and continued, "Now, before you all go charging off, I want to train for fifteen minutes with Shifu, then Ming Yue, Xiongmeng third, Yingzi after, and Baihehua last."

"Coming," I sighed, trailing after him as the others dashed off to try the obstacle course. Though I was excited to be training with him, I still wanted to go check out the equipment with my friends. As we walked along the path, I recognized it. "What are we going to be doing in the courtyard?" I asked.

"You have an excellent memory," he murmured before continuing, saying, "We are going to meditate."

"Meditate?" I echoed in disbelief.

"No, I was just teasing you, young one," he chuckled. "I am going to fight you and show you how to listen to heart beats and sense emotions clearer. I noticed you have already begun to, and maybe tomorrow I will show you all how to read and write. You will probably enjoy the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu," the tortoise told me.

"How did you know to create the Dragon Scroll?" I asked cautiously. Nobody really knew much about it.

"How much do you know about it?" Oogway asked.

"The scroll gives its bearer unlimited power, that is, the Dragon Warrior; and that warrior will bring peace to our valley, though I can't imagine what for," I replied.

"I had a vision. A dark shadow was destroying the village and brought death to someone I greatly cared about. I could sense that somehow, and the only way to find the Dragon Warrior is to assess his or her fighting skills and figure it out. Another figure, The Dragon Warrior, defeated the evil shadow with a scroll I knew I must create," he told me.

That sounded so much like part of my dream! I made future reference to tell him later.

"Can I tell the others?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"What power does the Dragon Scroll grant?" I asked, suddenly curious about this mysterious thing. I supposed it would be nice to have unlimited power, but being the Dragon Warrior would undoubtedly be extremely hard.

"Tomorrow, I will show you where it is, but only the Dragon Warrior may know what it means. He or she also may come in my lifetime or not," Oogway said cautiously. I pondered a little at the curious way he had phrased what the scroll meant, but dismissed it at a new thought.

"What if it should not?" I curiously pressed.

"I don't know, but let us train now," he said, changing the subject. We were at the courtyard and he began to swirl his long peach staff a little. "Try to disarm me," he ordered, throwing me a bamboo combat pole.

Listening as hard as I could, I strained my ears until I picked up the sound of his heart beating. Catching the faint sound, I tried to appear as if I hadn't and was still seeking it. Clever Oogway had guessed that I would expect him to approach from behind or to the sides, and came in front of me.

"Ha!" I fake growled, turning away to trick him in turn. As he attacked from behind, I battled backwards furiously and swung around. He used Ming Yue's trick of jumping high, but I began to flip my pole like a pinwheel in an attempt to disarm him. As he aimed at my feet, I knew he expected me to doge or jump, but I slid under his outstretched arm and under his legs. Swinging onto my arms, I kicked him in the back and tripped his legs with my pole. Darting in quickly, I knocked his staff away before he could recover his balance, as I knew he would.

He seemed in shock and I stood there with a slight grin. "Good," was all he said. We fought four or five more times, but I never managed to beat him again. Each time was harder and I knew I could no longer win, as I no longer had the advantage of surprise. He must have been holding back a lot also to keep from hurting me. Finally, we were done and I panted a little. Punching my hand to my fist, I gave a short bow. "Go find your sister now and tell her it is her turn," he told me.

"Yes, master," I panted before heading out of his sight. Trying to shake off my sleepiness, I winced a little. That training session made my muscles ache and I wondered how I could ever to the obstacle coarse for one more hour. Walking to the training hall, I opened the doors and scented sweat, pain, and singed fur.

"How'd it go, bro?" Xiongmeng shouted between intervals of crashing and yelping.

"Fine!" I shouted back, "Ming Yue, it's your turn."

"Bye," she perkily told me before racing off. Partly because it was so hot in here and partly because I wanted to show off, I tugged off my shirt and set it next to my swords that I had left in here earlier.

"Stop showing off!" Yingzi barked with slight annoyance, but I ignored him and raised an eyebrow.

"You are just jealous," the rhino broke in, taunting the cynical laid-back wolf as usual.

"Oh, shut up!" the wolf growled.

"Hi, Shifu!" Baihehua barked from somewhere near Xiongmeng and I could sense she was sore, but friendly. Giving them both a small wave, I started off for the Field of Flames. When I got there, I nearly tripped on the raised edge before recovering my balance. Using the soft pads of my feet, I sensed the heat of the metal and dodged around quickly before the geysers burst upwards. Circling the field, I waited for maybe forty seconds before jumping off.

"Want to fight me on the Jade Tortoise?" Xiongmeng asked, voice shaking as he rocked back and forth on it. With a small grin, I leapt high in the air, and bounced off one edge of the opposite edge he was on so he pitched forward, and landed on the edge he just had been on, using my hands and feet to cling onto it. As he slipped about, I vocally counted to thirty before swinging the bowl to a stop.

"Having fun?" I snickered.

"I will once I do this!" he growled with amusement, lunging at my tail. Leaping backwards, I landed in a crouch on the floor.

"Do what? Miss me?" I mocked.

"Oh, bugger off," he sighed. Walking over to the Swinging Claws, I found no one on them and began to practice. The rolling wooden snakes were extremely loud and I dodged the clubs with ease at the swish of air. Tired, I gave a little yawn and decided to show off yet again just for fun.

"Kiya!" I growled, leaping up to grab one of the swinging claws. Swinging on it, I let go and did a quick summersault before landing neatly on the ground in front of the Gator Gauntlet.

"Awesome!" Baihehua yelled to me from the Seven Talon Rings. Leaping, dodging, and twisting instinctively at the noises of the wooden gators' arms, I had to use all my concentration to focus on not getting hit.

"Hey Shifu!" Yingzi suddenly shouted in my ear, laughing too. Startled at his voice and how close he was to me, I was almost unprepared as one of the wooden arms swung at my head. Knowing he had distracted me for the purpose that it would hit me, I ducked.

"Never get distracted," I hissed at him.

"Wha-?" he broke off startled and with a yelp of pain as he was slammed full in the face, and then pummeled until he could stumble, shouting out of the field. With my forty seconds up, I also jumped out of the Gator Gauntlet. Yingzi, quietly brooding, ignored me as I headed toward the Seven Talon Rings. Springing up, I grabbed the rafters and sat a while before swinging on the rings.

"Be careful Shifu," Baihehua warned.

"Ow!" I yelped as one of the talons cut into the palm of my hand. Fiery, stinging pain stabbed through it and I let go. Falling, I twisted quickly to land on the ground. Oogway had been right that I would probably get hurt on those. I just wanted to try.

"You okay?" Xiongmeng asked worriedly. My hand felt like it was on fire, but I nodded.

The rest of training progressed well, and it was late afternoon when we stopped training on the course. I wondered if it was possible for me to be the Dragon Warrior, to be able to access unlimited power. Still, I wasn't sure if I could save the Valley of Peace from its greatest threat. Lost in thought, I was unaware until Ming Yue had called my name again.

"Hmmm?" I asked.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, inspecting the cut on my palm.

"Yes," I said, pulling away from her.

"What were you thinking about?" she curiously asked. So, I began to tell her about what Oogway said about the Dragon Warrior. As the others listened, interest piqued, I realized something. Though the Dragon Scroll was certainly interesting, I found that my destiny seemed to be entwined with it, but never joined. Though the training was hard, I knew that I would definitely work my hardest to become, second to Oogway, the greatest Kung Fu master in all of China.


	5. Love

Nine years seemed to pass quickly and I almost felt like I was missing something. I stayed to my goal, even mastering nearly six hundred scrolls of Kung Fu with Master Oogway as witness. I found that the tortoise was odd, but almost a father to us. Xiongmeng, Yingzi, Baihehua, and I trained for most of the days, occasionally pulling pranks on each other just for the fun of it. Oogway decide to wait until we became masters to determine whether any of us were the Dragon Warrior. The other scrolls interested me more though, and, along with the others, I grew stronger, faster, and could read and write. My endurance strengthened, hearing skills increased, and I became too used to the pain in training to feel much of it anymore. During the night, I would occasionally disappear into the Valley of Peace or neighboring villages to fight the evildoers for amusement and just to help.

Yingzi would occasionally go to the villages too, but usually to flirt with the female wolves. Xiongmeng and Baihehua were still together, but I wondered if Ming Yue would ever want to find a mate. She never seemed to show much interest in the subject.

Today, we were all going to be having a fun day. It was winter now and the snow was coming down hard. Shaking off my thoughts and memories, I stretched and ambled to the door of my room. Oogway taught us, long ago, how to snowboard, and as usual, Xiongmeng, Baihehua, Yingzi, Ming Yue, and I were going to the snowy mountains near the Thread of Hope. That was a very dangerous place to play because of the gaping crevice in the mountains that the bridge strung over, but it was so fun to do tricks on the craggy peaks.

"Shifu, come on!" Xiongmeng yelled from somewhere outside. Bringing my swords, some food, and a sleeping bag along in a large backpack, I shot through the doors of the Jade Palace and deposited mine by the others and listened to them all playing in the snow before the trip.

"Be careful," Oogway told us worriedly.

"We'll be fine,"Baihehua barked reassuringly.

"Surprise attack!" Xionmeng jubilantly shouted, chucking a wet snowball at her.

"Hey!" she protested, and Yingzi piled in on top of them, adding to the small play fight that had begun. Despite the fact that we were much older, some things didn't change.

"Come on, let's get going!" I interrupted, grabbing up my pack. Eventually, the others followed me and we chatted as we walked the long journey, taking our time to get there. It took a couple days to get there, but we made it.

"We're here!" Yingzi barked excitedly. Immediately, a pile of snow from an overhanging branch fell on his head.

Scenting the air, I was a little worried that I couldn't scent much in all this snow, but we had been fine the last two years we had come.

"Gotcha!" Ming Yue growled at me, popping up from behind a snowdrift to nail me in the ear with a snowball.

"Hey!" I yelped, shaking my head vigorously as the icy cold wetness slid into my ear fur. She responded by tackling me into the snow, where we rolled about in a flurry. Finally, I shoved her off me, cold and wet. At once, the others burst into laughter.

"What?" Ming Yue asked, slightly confused.

"Shifu! You're so serious, and now you're covered in snow…" Baihehua chuckled teasingly. Irritated, I shook it off and growled at her. She growled right back, and began to dig, showering me in more snow, and then laughing harder.

"Hey, are we going to snowboard or what?" Yingzi growled, slicing a huge chunk of bark out of a tree, and carving it quickly into a good shape, driving his sharp claws into it to make holes for the rope straps.

"Sure," Xiongmeng agreed. We took turn doing tricks on it, and then it was my turn. Exhilarated with the speed of the snowboard, I went full speed down the mountain before going off the jump. I did a couple back flips and twists before landing and skidding to a stop. Happy, I raced back up the slope and gave it to Ming Yue.

"Be careful," I murmured uneasily. It was good to have a break from hard work, but not if my sister got hurt. The icy snow was numbing my feet, and I shifted uncomfortably. To my surprise and annoyance, she immediately headed for the most difficult slope. None of us had tried it yet…figures she would.

"I'll be fine, Shifu," she sighed. The slope was way to the west, so it was neither near the Thread of Hope nor in the direction of the Jade Palace.

Excited, she began to race down the hill at full speed. Sighing deeply, I scented some good smelling trees and wondered if she should be going through trees. What if she hit one? She was so small that she would probably be knocked silly.

"What if she hits one of those trees?" I murmured anxiously to Baihehua.

"What trees?" she barked with confusion, and I paused. What did she mean, what trees? They were right there…and then I understood.

"Wow, she actually flipped so hard that she's going up the second hill," Xiongmeng growled with admiration. Stiffening, I knew I had to act now. The second hill hid the drop off!

"Stop, you're heading for a cliff!" I shouted. For a single frozen moment, nobody moved. Then, I launched myself from the cliff, high into the air. Spiraling, I came down in the snow and broke out into a dash.

"Help! I can't get off!" she wailed.

"Just back flip or roll off!" I yelled. Racing as fast as I could, I heard her back flip, slip them off, but crash -land on a patch of ice and slide helplessly towards the edge.

"We're coming to help!" the fox shouted as they charged closer, but I knew they were too late. Lunging, I caught the sleeve of her shirt just in time.

"Let go! We're both falling," she protested, as my struggles to haul her away from the drop only brought us closer and faster. No, we would either live or die together. As she slid over the edge, I slammed my fist into the ice, trying to break through and find a hold so we wouldn't tumble over. Pain shot through my knuckles, but I got it. Holding onto the small handhold in the ice, I struggled to hold her and not drop her. Her whole weight was off the cliff side and the ice began to cut into my rapidly numbing hand. Blood was dripping slowly onto the ice from the cut it was making, and the ice was melting, making the grip gradually decrease in size.

"Don't let go," I growled, teeth clenched in pain, as I tried to use my feet to scrape backwards along the ice. This added nothing to our situation; however, and I could only wait a couple more moments until the others arrived to help. They were almost here…

"Why on earth would I let go?" she yelped. I rolled my eyes. Trust her to make this a joking situation.

"Start swinging towards and back from the cliff face," I ordered, suddenly getting an idea.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it," I growled. She gave no protest and began to swing. The strain on both of my hands was terrible, but with enough momentum, I flung her up into the air with a quick flip of my wrist. The others finally reached the other side of the patch of ice and seemed to be wondering what to do now. Flexing my hand a little, I winced at the soreness in both of my wrists and dug a foot into the dip that was still just there. Shoving off, I flipped over the ice and landed to catch Ming Yue.

"Thank you Shifu," she sighed, and kissed me. My coldness, fear, and pain melted away as we held each other. And I knew what I had been missing all these years, this happiness that had always been so close to me. I felt so happy, knowing that she loved me as much as I loved her. After all, we weren't biologically related, and I knew that even if we were, I wouldn't have cared. This would definitely be a moment I would never forget.

Baihehua didn't seem too surprised, Xiongmeng amused at how I was reacting, and Yingzi barely concealing his laughter.

"Sorry," she murmured, surprising me.

"What about?" I asked with slight confusion. Surely she didn't think that I didn't like her.

"I should have told you sooner," she sighed.

"Um…hate to break up this love scene, but can we snowboard some more?" the wolf asked, ruining the moment. Xiongmeng chose this moment to shove him headfirst into a huge pile of snow. I snorted with laughter at the angry, flailing wolf and we tugged him out, as it seemed he couldn't escape. The rest of the day, we snowboarded and ate dinner. The journey home was slightly longer than usual, for we were enjoying ourselves so much.

"Who's out there?" a nervous duck called through the gates to the Jade Palace. It was the dead of night and I assumed he couldn't see us.

"Yingzi, Xiongmeng, Ming Yue, Baihehua, and Shifu. Who the heck do you think it is?" Yingzi growled, annoyed.

"Sorry," the guard squeaked and I glared at the wolf. I could hear Oogway coming out of the main temple where he had been meditating to meet us. He greeted us and talked a while before letting us go to sleep off the long journey, but as I started to leave after the others, he held me back.

"Shifu, I sense you and Ming Yue must be careful," he murmured in my ear, sounding frightened and very serious.

"Why?" I asked, flicking my ears nervously. When he was nervous, something was seriously wrong.

"An enemy long forgotten will return and great trouble will come of this. When the path of a warrior is intertwined with love, the results are terrible to behold," he shakily replied, turning away from me now.

"Master, what have you seen?" I asked. I had no idea how or where his prophecies and visions came from, but I had seen enough come true not to question the truth of them. An entire year passed and I eventually lost curiosity in his warning, since he never seemed to mention it again. He was probably just worried about us because we were his students. Anyway, it was nighttime now and I was sleeping side by side with Ming Yue. We were thinking of maybe getting married in a couple years and I was thinking of how lucky I was to have her, when I heard the cries.

"Shifu, what is that?" she sleepily asked, turning to look at me.

"How would I know?" I replied, equally puzzled.

"Can you go see what it is?" she murmured, slowly falling back into slumber.

"Fine," I sighed, getting up and walking through the hallways. So that someone wouldn't bump into me in the dark, I brought along a lantern, though I hated doing so. Since I couldn't see the fire, I was always wary of its burn from when I was young.

Stopping just outside the door I could tell the ducks on guard had fallen asleep again. Sighing softly, I set the lantern down and opened the door.

"Who is it?" I curiously asked. Instead of a vocal reply, I heard a strange cooing noise and scented the ground in surprise. Lying on the doorstep was a kit. It reeked of death and I slowly picked it up. Under the cloth the cub was wrapped in, I could also smell a message with the strong ink on it. Taking it up, I read it silently and furiously in my head. 'To the inhabitants of the Jade Palace, please take care of my six year old kit. His father died in battle when a large wolf pack attacked our village. I am wounded badly and I know I will not survive long. Do not come looking for me, but love and teach my only son, Tai Lung." Angrily, I cursed under my breath. The Emperor, so called Son of Heaven, was supposed to be repressing these bandits. Instead, he reckoned he could do nothing, and so, did nothing. Now, little Tai Lung and his clan had paid dearly for it. There was a rumor going around that he had a son, so hopefully by the time his son came to power, he would be better than his father.

"Shifu, what was it?" Ming Yue tiredly called down the hallways and I heard her softly padding closer. I had to show the others this little orphan.

Walking inside, I held the cub, protected in my arms and with one hand over his ears, and slammed one foot into a large gong with a tremendous banging noise. The little kit began to whimper with fright and I wondered at the lack of speech. He must have seen battle at a very young age, and that had made him very quiet.

"Shifu, what is going on?" my master asked, walking over first. I could feel him considering the bundle of fur in my arms and I looked to the side as the others of our group came.

"Where'd you get the baby?" Xiongmeng asked, sounding astounded.

"I found him outside with this note," I answered, handing it to him. Yingzi and Baihehua leaned in for a peek and Ming Yue was last, quiet but entranced by the kit.

"What is he?" Baihehua asked, and I glanced her way in surprise. Not many of us traveled so much, so we didn't know all the different types of clans and packs, etc… that came from around China.

"He's a snow leopard," Ming Yue answered.

"That tiny ball of fluff? He's one of the giant mountain cats that are feared so much?"Yingzi snorted with disbelief, but I ignore him. He peeked closer at the tiny cub and suddenly yelped in pain.

"Wha-?" I started, before realizing the little kit had whacked him on the muzzle with his tiny claws.

"Yep, he's going to be an awesome fighter," the rhino growled with satisfaction, chuckling at the wolf.

"That hurt!" he protested.

"What, a big brave Kung Fu warrior was defeated by baby snow leopard?" I teased.

"Let me rephrase. His claws are sharp!" Yingzi growled.

"Well, as long as he keeps beating you up, I think he can stay," Baihehua woofed at the embarrassed wolf with slight amusement.

"May he stay?" I carefully asked Oogway, but I could tell by his relaxed position that he would be fine with him.

"Yes, he may stay and learn Kung Fu from all of you. It will be good experience. As for you, Shifu, if you would like to take care of him, you may," he replied warmly.

Surprised, I paused in petting the cub. I didn't know I would be ready to teach, much less raise a baby! As I thought, he outstretched a paw to pull my hand down to pet his head again. Smiling, I knew he was sweet and would be a strong, determined warrior. Ming Yue would help me train him, as well as my friends and master. Glancing up, I nodded.

Raising the cub proved to be a little difficult at first. I soon learned that he had a quick temper and was extremely strong. As I trained him after he got over his shyness, I also realized that he was very dedicated, loyal, friendly, and knew the difference between right and wrong. He was a swift and intelligent learner, and I was proud of him. Although I wasn't his biological father, I loved him just the same.

The second week in training, I noticed how hard he tried to please me, but as a young cub, he grew easily frustrated.

"Stupid gator!" he was growling and I hurried from my sparring with Xiongmeng to see what was wrong. They usually seemed annoyed by how much attention I was dedicating to him, but didn't say anything.

"What is wrong, Tai Lung?" I asked him as I approached. He was sitting unhappily on the ground and crying.

Sniffing, he replied, "I can't do this. I'll never be a master at Kung Fu or learn to fight of anything! I will never be like you…you're so good at it."

"Tai Lung, do you know why I'm good at it?" I asked softly.

Shaking his head, he stopped sniffing momentarily.

"I practiced for many years, and I never gave up on my dreams. You have the power to shape your own destiny and I know you are destined for greatness, but only if you try. Remember, a true warrior never quits," I told him.

"But I keep failing! I'm too bad at it," he insisted stubbornly.

"Do you want me to tell you a secret? The others know it, but only because Oogway told them and he knows everything," I asked, smiling gently at him.

"Everything?" he persisted.

"Well, no…" I admitted. Or at least, I didn't think so.

"What?" he curiously mewed.

"I can't see," I simply said, and chuckled a little as he suddenly gaped at me in amazement.

"Nothing?" he gasped.

"I was born that way, but I always wanted to train under Oogway. I never let that stop me," I sighed. "You'll never know you can't, and even if you quit, you still won't know," I said, smiling at him encouragingly. Walking away, I left him to his thoughts. Maybe what I said is why he suddenly became so much more dedicated, especially to the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu.


	6. The Great Battle

Nine more years passed and I was twenty-eight years old. Ming Yue married me when I was twenty-two, and between us, Tai Lung was the most spoiled little cat ever. He was cute and clever, which he would use to his advantage and often, though not always succeed. Though Xiongmeng, Baihehua, Yingzi, and Oogway trained him, I spent the most time with him, apart from Ming Yue, and could forgive the little bundle of mischief from almost anything. Once, on his second day here, he pulled out all of my left whiskers at once. My friends, especially Yingzi, got a kick out of that, but I refrained from yelling at him. It hurt like heck though! The wolf had become a close friend, despite his obnoxious comments. He was a true warrior at heart, as was my kit. Ming Yue and I loved him very much, but as we got older, we began to think of having a child.

Today, it was nearly summer, and early yesterday, we had been named as Masters of Kung Fu. I had finished nearly nine hundred scrolls and was a little upset I hadn't had time to finish it before becoming masters. There were those who, long ago, came to Kung Fu classes that Oogway and the others sometimes held. His enemies and sort of part time students would often self proclaim themselves as masters once older, but it was truly Oogway's word that counts.

I was insistent, as were the others, on calling each other our regular names with the Master in front, and only our true master names at our enemies. Oogway complied, and of course, was simply Master Oogway as he always was. Our true names were I, Shifu, Teacher or Master; Xiongmeng was ferocity, Yingzi was Shadow, Baihehua was Lily, and Ming Yue was Moonshine. Tai Lung was Big or Great Dragon, as named by his parents. Out of curiosity, he had asked me at a young age of where they had gone. I asked him if he remembered the battle, but he had in a vague way. He knew they tried to hurt his parents for an unknown reason and he knew they were hurt, but had no idea of death. It was only until he was older that I could truly explain, and he finally realized they would never come to visit. Instead of becoming melancholy, he just accepted it and strove harder to be a master and make both his pairs of parents proud.

I frequently wondered of what his Master name was to be. I was Master Ice Dragon, though unfortunately not the Dragon Warrior. Though I was disappointed, I wasn't going to get really upset about it. Ming Yue was Master Silver Moon, Baihehua was Master Black Lily, Xiongmeng was Master Flying Rhino, and Yingzi was Master Dark Shadow.

The day was warm, and I stretched my muscles happily in the warm sunshine. We were masters, but we still trained for perfection, even getting up as usually early as we had in training.

"Good morning Shifu. You're up ten minutes early as usual," Ming Yue purred in my ear, stretching a little and moving into a sitting position.

"As are you," I remarked, admiring my wife. Though I couldn't see her, I knew she was quick, clever, and very beautiful. I wondered if she was sick or something though. Her steps were constantly heavier because of pains and seemed clumsier during our practicing.

"Oh Shifu, haven't you noticed yet?" she suddenly burst out and I flicked my ears, startled.

"Hmmm?" I asked, coming out of my worried thoughts and glancing at her. Did I miss her birthday or something? Once when I was little, I forgot, and she chased me all over the house, yowling her head off at me.

"I'm pregnant," she sighed happily, as if it were obvious.

"Really?" I yelped, flicking my tail with surprise. Sitting down in a daze, I smiled as the realization dawned on me. I really should have known.

"Heck, yes," she giggled, brushing her long, fluffy tail against my cheek. Giving her a short kiss, I wondered how Tai Lung would feel about having a new baby brother or sister.

"Should we tell the others?" I asked.

"Honestly, they've probably already figured it out," she sighed with slight annoyance, and then adding, "Even Tai Lung has." I paused with my mouth open and she laughed again at my surprise.

"He has?" I gaped. You'd think he would have told me…

"He told me a couple days ago that he knew my secret and asked if you knew yet. Of course, I said no, and he decided to wait until you actually caught on," she snorted with amusement. I grinned too, and thought that at least he was happy about it.

"Surprise attack!" Xiongmeng laughed, suddenly bursting open the room and leaping at me.

"What the-?" I yelped. Then, the huge rhino tackled me, and we began to tussle around the small room.

"Get outside if you two are going to do that!" Ming Yue laughed.

"Did you know too?" I accused the rhino.

"Yes, you're such a daft fur ball though. I bet Yingzi you wouldn't figure it out within two weeks unless she told you," he snorted.

"You two suck," I laughed.

"By the way…" he started before thumping the roof. Immediately, Yingzi and Baihehua jumped from the roof that they had been eavesdropping on and came in through the front to see us.

"Darn it," the wolf grumbled before fishing into a pocked and gave several coins to Xiongmeng, who pocketed them.

"Congratulations! I was dying to tell you, but Tai Lung didn't want to, Ming Yue was waiting for you, and these two oafs wouldn't let me," Baihehua told me.

"I'll bet Oogway knows too," Yingzi added.

"I am not an oaf," the rhino growled at Baihehua.

"Yes you are and don't deny it," she giggled, kissing him quickly before he could protest, and I grinned. They had gotten married too, a little bit earlier than us.

"All of you come out here!" Oogway commanded loudly from the entranceway to the bedrooms. All of us scrambled out of our bedroom and I worriedly turned towards him. He hardly ever yelled at us! He had never sounded so angry since we dyed Yingzi's fur pink…but what could possibly be so wrong now?

Emerging hastily, I walked slowly over where the others had gathered and heard him rustle open a scroll and begin reading it.

"A messenger sent a note from the Emperor. It says, 'To the masters of the Jade Palace, There is a band of five thousand rogue wolves heading your way. I am trying to send you a couple troops for backup, but I am afraid they may not arrive in time. Anyway, I thought it was best to warn you, as Master Shifu did save my son, the only heir to the throne. Sincere apologies and thanks, Emperor Firestorm of a Thousand Embers.' I am afraid he is right that they will not arrive on time. We must fight by ourselves to defend the village.

Remember, we've been up against bad odds before. Anyway, when did you save the emperor's son, Shifu?" Oogway asked curiously.

"I sort of…go places at night…to help others with all the criminals that they apparently can't catch. I was near the Royal Palace when I met a young, maybe eight year old tiger trying to fend off a band of gorillas. I helped him, but I didn't know he was the emperor's son," I admitted. I only did this once in a while and used my talents to help others than concentrate entirely on training.

"I sent one of the ducks to scout ahead. He came back and told me they're almost here and no sign of the emperor's troops," he continued.

"Big surprise there…" I sarcastically muttered. Though I did not have much against the emperor, he was very bad at actually helping anybody in China. His son seemed like he would do better than his father and I wondered what was the point of even having an emperor anyway.

"I…I can't fight my own kind," Yingzi whispered worriedly, so low that I wondered if the others heard him. They did.

"What?" Xiongmeng yelped and I stared at the wolf in surprise. Surely he wouldn't leave now! I thought that eventually, some of them may leave to make their own lives somewhere else, but I didn't think this way or so soon.

"Look, for wolves, it' s dishonorable to attack our own kind. I can't join them or fight, so I guess I have to go home. I cannot stay here any longer. I'm sorry," he whimpered and I stiffened. He sounded as if he were about to cry as he started to slink off, but surely his friends meant more to him than this. The others paused with uncomfortable silence as he passed before Oogway began to say something.

"I'm sorry too," was all he said. "You are a master now, so I wish you good luck," he sadly murmured.

"Good bye, all of you. I hope we'll meet again," the wolf addressed all of us, and then miserably padded away and out of our lives.

"Come on, we must be battle ready," the old tortoise sighed and I sensed he was pretending to shrug off his disappointment and pain of loss. I felt so bad for him, but we would probably all leave sometime too…just not under these circumstances. Now, I had to protect Ming Yue from the fight since we were missing a warrior.

"I don't want you to fight. Stay here," I pleaded with my wife and sister. She would certainly be in too much danger, but I knew what she would say before she opened her mouth.

"I'm not going to hide, much less leave you," she protested, growling slightly.

"Please, I'm begging you…I have a bad feeling about this battle," I murmured, and indeed I did. In my heart, I knew that this was wrong and something very bad was about to happen. I suppose I was having a premonition.

"I go where you go," she stubbornly stated.

"Then I won't fight," I sighed.

"No, we both go. Trust me," she insisted. I knew she was wrong, but I couldn't protect her forever.

"I trust you, it's the wolves I'm worried about," I growled. Before she could protest, I added, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Tai Lung could help," Xiongmeng cautiously added.

"No! He's way too young for this," I yelped.

"The boy is older than you were when you had your first battle with Tehn-Xiu!" the rhino snapped back and I flinched. I didn't like being reminded of him.

"He was one wolf that was unarmed. These are five thousand with swords and arrows, and…" I began to protest.

"Look, he's not going to be a cub forever. I'm sure he would want to," he argued.

"It might be a good idea," my wife put in.

"What?" I yelped. "I'm not putting you both in danger!"

"This is not your decision," she warned.

"She is right. If he wants to fight, he knows the risks and may come or not as he pleases. Find him and ask…where is he, anyway?" Oogway asked and I growled under my breath. I wouldn't argue with my master, and I wondered where he was as well.

"On the roof," I guessed.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"He sometimes likes to practice his climbing and jumping skills. I'll fetch him," I quickly said and hurried outside as fast as I could.

"Whoa…lightning he is," I heard Xiongmeng say as I left. Briskly walking outside, I began to scent for him, but instead of finding him on the roof, I found a huge circle in the undergrowth that he had run along. Confused, I stood quite still. Nothing.

"Surprise!" he yowled, hurling himself from a tree, almost frightening the heck out of me. My fast reflexes saved me from being hit by a huge ball of fur that was my student. Flipping to the side, I jabbed two fingers into his midsection and pulled up on his tail with the other hand. Dumping the huge cat quickly on his back, I growled at him.

"Tai Lung, what on earth are you doing?" I asked him, glaring down at the upside down snow leopard.

"Surprise attack? Do you want to pla-?" he offered.

"No time," I interrupted, "There is a rebel wolf pack of nearly five thousand warriors. They are coming to the Jade Palace to fight. Yingzi left because he cannot fight other wolves, but we all must do so now. If you wish, you have Oogway's and my permission to join the battle." Hoping I was not sending him to his death, I wished he would refuse, but knew him well enough to know that he would be enthralled.

"Should Ming Yue fight?" he nervously asked, surprising me out of my thoughts.

"I know she's pregnant, but she still wants to fight. I tried to change her mind, but she is adamant. She will not be left behind," I sighed.

"Then I will fight and don't worry, I'll protect her," he added, bowing respectfully to me.

"As you wish. Come with me, then. Master Oogway is waiting. Allowing Tai Lung to move ahead and join the others, I quickly went to my room and fetched my long swords. Swirling them over and over quickly to get ready, I joined Tai Lung by Oogway. He loved me, but I also knew that he had quite a soft spot for Ming Yue too.

"I have a trunk of weapons that you should look through," Oogway instructed us, depositing its contents on the floor. He must have fetched it while we were gone.

"Oh yeah," Xiongmeng growled happily, picking out a huge set of armor and trying it on. I guessed it was for decoration, for the rhino certainly needed no help pulverizing his enemies.

"Blades of fury," Baihehua meowed with satisfaction, taking some small metal throwing stars and a bladed ring with small holes for her claws to fit in and throw with.

"Wow," Ming Yue said, admiring a large shield with a jade stone set in the center of it.

"I'm ready," Tai Lung purred devilishly, shooting his claws out to grasp a large knife.

Oogway picked up his Fist of Iron and I wondered at the fact that he was so peaceful and calm, yet could kill someone in a blink of an eye if he truly wanted to.

"Should we aim to kill, Master? After all, there are five thousand warriors and they certainly will show no mercy," I tentatively asked him.

"We have no right to take lives, but in this type of situation where the valley is endangered, you may only if necessary. Try not to do nerve attacks and aim for wounds to send them away," he sighed.

"Let's kick some butt," the rhino growled.

"We will not attack the valley, for it does not concern them. I am Tehn-Xiu! Come out and fight me if you dare!" a loud howl erupted from the courtyard outside and I froze. I knew that voice…

Storming outside, I could hear the others fallowing me. Once I caught the rank scent, I growled.

"He's mine!" I silently snarled to Oogway. Finally, Kaihua's murderer would be brought down.

"Don't do anything foolish," Oogway advised, but I was too angry to pay much attention. He stood stiff beside me though, and I bared my teeth and angrily flattened my ears at the wolf. After all these years, I had nearly perfected my eye movements in looking like I could see, so I glared at him. If he realized I was blind, he would definitely take advantage of it.

"What?" Tai Lung whispered out of the side of his mouth to me and I could tell he was confused.

"Who is he?" Baihehua quietly barked to Xiongmeng and I knew she was observing my reaction too.

"He said Tehn-Xiu," the rhino distractedly replied. Despite the circumstances, I rolled my eyes. That obviously hadn't been what she meant.

"Good to see you again, small one," the wolf mocked me and I felt the others surprise that my mother's murderer was the leader of this band. Furious, I let rip a ferocious snarl, causing everyone to flinch.

"You will regret that day," I growled. I don't care what Oogway said; I was going to kill him…the wolf I mean.

"No," the aforementioned tortoise stopped me, "You may walk out of here now and no harm will come to you, or you may fight and be driven out. Your deaths will not rest on my conscience since I have warned you."

"Our deaths?" the wolf leered, mocking us with a booming laugh, "Foolish turtle. You will all die. Attack!"

As the others immediately began to pummel the wolves, I had to turn away from my revenge and help them with the multitude of warriors. Nearly a dozen formed a circle around me, slashing their weapons. Ducking and weaving, I snapped several limbs with open palm strikes, cracked a few jaws with the handles of my knives, and slashed deep wounds into the rest.

"Hiiaa!" Baihehua yelled, leaping up and doing a perfect split in midair, effectively knocking two wolves away from her and cracking several of their ribs with loud snaps.

"Good one," I grinned, crouching so a couple wolves left their midsections vulnerable when they aimed their swords at me. Flipping backwards, I kicked them high into the air. As they were stranded up there, I jumped directly under them and snapped their forearms as we fought. Landing neatly on my feet, I spiraled so their broken bodies were flung away with another swift kick.

"Show off," she snorted.

"These warriors are novices," I growled back. The fight continued for a long time, and though they were not too skilled, there were many.

Finally, I heard one specific wolf that entered battle at a later moment throw something on the ground. Coughing loudly, I realized it was a smoke bomb.

"The Wolf Souls!" Oogway said, recognizing it immediately. Despite the smoke, I fought as hard as I could, with the advantage that now, I could still 'see.'

The smoke took a while to clear, and I realized that many of my friends were extremely tired. The battle was almost over, but I felt exhausted too. Unfocused, I was unprepared when another several wolves nearly tackled me. Sticking my swords into the ground I swiftly turned in a complete circle on them, injuring most of the wolves in my path with my sharp kicks. Scenting the air, I wondered where Tehn-Xiu was…

"Tai Lung!" I called, fighting through the wolves and reaching the furious snow leopard, who was effectively slicing wounds and gashes into his enemies.

"King of busy…" he muttered, digging his claws into a victim harshly, making it screech and struggle free before rushing away.

"Watch Ming Yue. I have to go wipe out a pest," I told him.

"Sure," he said, moving his attacks so he slowly cam closer to my sister. Scenting the air again, I raced off through the wolves, following my enemy's scent. Driving off the wolves in my path, I leapt as high as I could, onto the roof. The idiotic so-called leader was only a coward, hiding from battle.

"So, we meet again," the wolf growled.

"This time, to bring you your death," I snarled. Launching myself at him, we began to do a quick fight, I slicing my swords furiously at him, and he, trying to decapitate me with a large axe. Parrying, I got an idea and stabbed my swords into the roof.

"You missed," he teased.

"Not quite," I hissed. With a grin, I leapt at him, driving the wolf back with a kick. With a quick back flip, I bounced off the sword handle and hurtled at his shoulders. Turning in midair, I tried to catch him with a blow, but he slammed the tip of his axe handle back, right into my left shoulder. With a yelp of agony as the paralyzing pain stabbed though me, I stumbled in my attack and he slammed me to the ground with a heavy paw. As much as I hated to admit it, he had skill…and I wondered why the rest of his pack didn't…maybe because the wolves hardly ever fought.

Thinking quickly, I shook off the pain ad began to flip him over and over in a whirlwind of power. Astounded, he dropped his axe and I used the sword I held to slice a long slash down his side.

"Yeeeeoow!" he howled and suddenly, he slammed a leg into my sword, sending it flying off the mountain. Surprised, I was slammed to the ground by another wolf, behind me.

"Finish off this insolent snack," the she wolf growled.

"Kiya!" I swung my legs up to smash into her nose. Yelping, she stepped back. Moving around her, I used a quick palm to snap her jaw back and twisted around to trip her with my foot. Yelping in pain, she fell off he roof.

"You will pay for that!" the wolf roared, lunging at me with my sword.

Ducking and swirling, I mocked, "Why, was she your girrrllfriend?" Enraged, he slashed at me and I dodged his attacks the best I could. Taken by surprise, I stepped on a sharp tile of the roof and tripped. Taking advantage of this, he immediately lunged down with my sword.

"Aaagh!" I gasped as he slashed a deep cut in my right side. White-hot pain flooded me ad I struggled to stay focused. Thunder overhead nearly distracted me and I growled with annoyance. Of all the times to rain, it had to choose this moment?

"The only thing I regret from the day I first met you was that I didn't kill you sooner," he snarled. To my surprise, I could feel the lightning close…very close.

"Shifu!" Baihehua yelped, suddenly appearing up with us.

"What?" I winced at my wound, dodging and striking at the wolf.

"This battle is over. There are less than fifty wolves remaining. The emperor's troops have arrived on time after all. There are nearly a thousand armed tigers helping us," she told me, and struck the wolf with a mighty blow by her paw, "You are going to lose."

"In your dreams," he snarled, and to my surprise and horror, he sank her teeth into her neck.

"Nooo!" I heard Xiongmeng wail and I stiffened in pain and fury. He had been her loving husband and this cowardly wolf took that away.

Leaping at him, I struck a huge blow, sending him back and stumbling. Punching and kicking with all the skill I could muster, I tried to avenge my friend with as much force as necessary. The rhino was too busy to help, but I knew that if he could, he would smash Tehn-Xiu to a pulp.

"Hiya!" he snarled, slamming his foot into my injured side and snapping several ribs. Gasping in pain, I crashed heavily to the ground. Dazed, I realized that Ming Yue, Tai Lung, and Xiongmeng were surrounded. I had no idea where Oogway was. I could expect no help. Trying to stand, I faltered and sank back to the ground. Blood was running heavily down my side and I felt sick and crushed.

"Shifu!" Ming Yue cried out in alarm.

"Die," the wolf snarled, raising the sword to plunge it into my chest. I never believed in miracles, but I needed one now if I wanted to live. To my astonishment, it did. The wolf had been wearing metal armor, trinkets from war, and was raising my sword high. This explained why he was suddenly truck by lightning. The thunder before was so loud that I immediately realized what was happening. I don't know how, but I gathered the strength to jump. My only explanation of the rest was that the roof exploded into fire.

When I woke up, my side felt as if it was burning and hurt like knives. Touching it tentatively, I realized that it was entirely bandaged.

"What happened?" I asked, realizing Tai Lung was with me in my room. I couldn't recall what happened after the wolf was struck by lightning. To my surprise, my student sounded and smelled like he had recently been crying.

"The wolf was disintegrated when he was struck by lightning. Amazingly, your swords survive. The entire roof was burnt away and is being replaced. When you jumped off the roof, one of the tiles hit you and knocked you unconscious, and I suppose you're here now," he uncomfortably said.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked.

"Xiongmeng left to find his future somewhere else. Oogway is meditating and mourning," he answered cautiously.

"I should probably go too," I sighed, starting to get up.

"No, he ordered you to rest," the snow leopard quickly said. I was surprised and began wondering where Xiongmeng would go. Maybe I could still keep in touch…I was sad he was gone though.

"Where's Ming Yue?" I asked suddenly. He didn't mention her. Was she hurt?

"Shifu, while you were unconscious, we were all busy fighting. I had to protect you and Ming Yue…we believe she was captured by the wolves…now led by that female you fought. Nobody knows where they've gone. I'm sorry," he sighed and I could tell he was on the brink of tears again. The blood in my veins turned to ice and I began to tremble. No, she couldn't be gone!

"I have to find her," I growled, struggling to get up. As I started to sit up, I winced at the bad pain in my side, and Tai Lung gently, but firmly pushed me back down.

"No, Oogway can't even find her and he's nearly as good at tracking as you are. I can't believe she's gone…that both she and Baihehua are gone, even that Xiongmeng left. I should have stopped them," he wailed and began to cry softly. I couldn't…I was too frozen. I felt hollow without them. How could they leave me? Ming Yue meant everything to me. She must come back.

Well, I would promise them one thing. I told Tai Lung quietly, "No, it was not you fault. I will find Ming Yue and we will be together always. The wolves will not have given up so easily. They will return or I will find him. It may take a long time, a lifetime, but I will always wait for her."

"Shifu, it's impossible. She's gone!" he burst out, "…Forever."

"Then I will wait forever," I replied. Sighing, he gave a small sniffle, and turned, and left. Laying in my bed, I closed my eyes. I would never give up. Never.


	7. The Furious Five

Nearly a year passed and I was still mourning my wife, but I no longer went out on my long journeys, seeking her. For the first few several months, I would constantly leave and come back without her. Oogway often sent some of the servants to keep a close watch on me, but I would always wait and slip away. Finally, after many, many disappearances, I decided to just wait. Poor Tai Lung had been broken hearted that I never was around, and when I said I would stay, he became overjoyed. Always, he tried hard to please me, so I would not leave him again, and it worked. Throwing myself into his training, I managed to keep the pain in my heart at bay, but nor banish it. I could never forget her.

In a way, Tai Lung saved me from myself. I had other duties and could not search for her forever. Now, I had to wait and do my duties. He was the only one to master the thousand scrolls of Kung Fu before becoming a master. This made me so proud of him, and reminded me that he was my son in so many ways, I was even prouder. He would certainly be the chosen one, the Dragon Warrior. I just knew it.

Lost in my train of thoughts, I almost missed the slight scuff on the wooden hallway. He was already up. Good.

"Shifu!" Tai Lung yowled with delight, leaping at me with outstretched paws. Dodging and back flipping, I shoved his flying body onwards with my legs before landing and turning to face him. Standing there, I chuckled at my student. He was still like a big, fuzzy, overgrown kitten.

"Stop acting like a kit. You're such a fur ball. Are you sure you're ready to be a master of Kung Fu?" I teased him, wondering if Ming Yue had our kit and whether or not he or she would ever be like my Tai Lung.

"You know I am. I will also be the greatest, the Dragon Warrior," he boasted, purring loudly. Beaming, I couldn't help agreeing. I wondered what great trouble he would save the village from.

"Let's go to Oogway," I beckoned him. Walking to the Sacred Hall of Warriors, which Oogway had created in our memory, I waited for my student to join me and simply told my master, "It is time."

"Hello my students," the tortoise calmly teased us, but I could tell he was trying to cover up a stronger emotion…fear…why? Maybe he was afraid of the enemy Tai Lung would have to battle once he was the Dragon Warrior. Focusing, I thought and wondered with amazement about the process of deciding if he was the chosen one. Oogway would recall his dream and see if his chi matched anyone in it.

Glancing toward my proud cub, standing tall and strong in the morning's sun, I too stood proud beside my master. Suddenly, Oogway's fear scent overwhelmed me and I turned curiously to him, still smiling, but nervously. Shaking his head softly, the tortoise turned away.

My blood froze for a single mistake and I wanted to ask him if there was some mistake. Tai Lung should be the one. I was about to protest…but he had been right about so many things before. Pausing with dismay, I glanced back in Tai Lung's direction. His fear and anger swept into my heart with a cold chill.

"I-ah-," I started, but finding now words, I could only shrug helplessly at the snow leopard and turn away. His anger built into a storm inside him, and Oogway left before I could ask him anything.

"Shifu, why didn't you tell him he was wrong?" Tai Lung whispered, shuddering with anger and dismay.

"Oogway is wiser than us all," I gently told him.

"To heck with that! I mastered the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu and I'm not even a master! All these years of training were for nothing?" he shouted angrily and I stopped at his words. Why was he so bitter? Hadn't we meant anything to him? Why on earth would he think his training was for nothing?

"Your training was not for the soul reason of fame! Besides, you are to be named a master," I growled at him.

"That's not good enough!" he spat.

"Tai Lung, you are not the Dragon Warrior. That is not my fault. If all our training meant nothing to you, then say so now," I snarled.

"Not your fault?" he whispered, but I could hear a savage snarl beneath it. "We'll see what is and what will be, starting with the destruction of the valley," he hissed. For the first time in my life, I was absolutely furious with him. Was he so selfish to believe that if he were not the Dragon Warrior, the Valley of Peace would crumble without one? Before I could snap back at him, he coldly turned away, and I went to meditate by the tree outside of the training hall.

Half an hour later, I could find no peace and was about to get up when I heard screaming.

"Aaaaagh!" a voice from the valley below surprised me and I rushed towards the gates of the Jade Palace. Before the ducks could open it, I felt one Oogway's footsteps approach quickly and I stopped.

"Shifu, it is as I have feared. Tai Lung's evil has overcome him. He wants the Dragon Scroll and is taking his fury out on the village. You must stop him!" he cried to me.

"But…I thought he meant the valley would be in danger without him, not that he would endanger it when he talked about the 'destruction of the valley," I murmured half to myself. Oogway must have been confused, but I was way worse off. "Are you sure?" I whispered.

"Shifu, I can tell when the valley is being attacked," he curtly replied.

"I can't fight him," I groaned. Why was he so obsessed with the power the scroll would bring him? How could he do this to innocent people? My son…was not the Dragon Warrior, but one of the evil shadows in Oogway's and my dreams.

"He will be most likely to listen to you. You must be the one to stop him," the tortoise insisted.

Sighing, I waved for the guards to open the doors. If I could get my student to listen, he would stop, and maybe everything could be all right again. Anyway, we'd never get into a real fight, would we?

Leaping down the stairs as fast as I could, I reached the valley. Scenting a little blood, huge amounts of destruction, but no death, I was relieved.

"Shifu!" the snow leopard snarled as he saw me and I waited. Was he going to stop?

"Tai Lung, you must not attack the villagers for our problem," I snarled.

"Alright," he growled and I loosened for a moment. Then, I realized he was racing towards me! What the heck? Speeding up the stairs much faster, I reached the Hall of Warriors, went through the spaces between the side poles. Standing beside Oogway at the Moon Pool, I glared at the front door. I had to protect the Dragon Scroll. He no longer deserved it. Now, I could see the darkness of his heart in attacking the villagers and me.

"Rrrhhhaaaooowwwrrr!"Tai Lung gave a battle cry, smashing right through the heavy gates. Crouching, he rushed towards the scroll. Hesitating, I waited for him to stop, but found he would not. No, this was not his destiny!

Leaping with my right leg outstretched, I aimed for a distraction kick, twist to the side as he countered, and nerve attack. When he woke up, he would either listen or be forced to listen to reason. But as I flew through the air, glaring and snarling silently, all those tactics disappeared from my head. Remembering the fuzzy little cub I adored, I knew I could not attack my son.

Stopping in midair, I withdrew my leg. If I had expected him to simply dodge, I was wrong. Growling loudly, he flicked my right leg with a turn of his wrist. I desperately wished he had meant me no harm, but in doing so, he made my left bend up at an impossible angle. A horrible white-hot pain shot up my left hip and flooded through my entire leg and side. Drawing back his fist, he punched me heavily in the face.

Gasping with surprise, I was flung through the air, flipped backwards several times, and rolled to a stop at the base of the stairs by the Moon Pool. My leg hurt so badly that I wanted to cry out, but in my shock, I could not. This was so much worse than attacking Tehn-Xiu, and I would have dealt with that a hundred times over than this. As my student continued his dash for the scroll he loved more than me, I could only breathe raggedly and lay, listening, as his betrayal broke my heart.

Jumping up to meet Tai Lung, Oogway pressed a pressure point on his throat with his staff and quickly rendered him unconscious with his nerve attack.

Still panting in pain, I flattened my ears. What had I done for my love to cause my son and I such pain? I was both angry and sympathetic with Tai Lung, further confusing my already dizzy head. My son had really been ready to kill for that scroll. If he had struck higher, he would have. That blow would have cracked my ribs and sent them straight through my lungs and heart. Even Oogway wouldn't have been able to help me then.

Grimacing in agony, I tried to push myself closer with my right leg. Finally, I pulled myself closer with my arms and reached toward him. Maybe he would listen to reason if I woke him up. Just as my hand reached his head and the base of his neck, I paused. No, he would never listen, and I would never see him again. The villagers would surely be shouting for his blood now. Whatever happened to him next, I could no longer protect him.

"Is this all his fault or mine?" I sadly asked Oogway.

"Shifu, listen to me. You have blazed a trail for him, given him hopes and dreams for an amazing future that you knew he may not have been worthy of," the old tortoise started and I hung my head in shame. He was right… "But he is the one who chose it."

"The villagers are suffering and it is my fault. I do not blame him," I answered his unasked question. After being friends so long, we knew each other's minds somewhat. The pain in my leg was becoming almost unbearable and I knew I was a bout to fall unconscious like last time I was attacked. Pulling closer, I heard Oogway take a small step and guessed he worried I was about to wake my son. Instead, I curled up with my head on his shoulder, and sank gratefully into warm blankness.

When I finally woke up, I was reminded of when Ming Yue was stolen, but things were a lot different in other ways. My heart and hip hurt so much. This time, I couldn't escape my broken heart, not even for Oogway. All my anger, fear, and pain, I calmly stepped into rather than shying away.

Nearly four months passed and the cracks in my bones healed, though not completely. I had to have an operation a while after my hip was broken because of the way it splintered and would had to be set. Now, pain would drive through my whole left leg whenever I put weight on it.

My master told me to exercise my leg, but I had lost the will to do anything that did not involve the task of living. Depressed and tired, I no longer trained, but sat alone in my room, molding to the dark.

Finally, something happened to arouse me from the gloom of life. Oogway's patience had finally snapped. This morning, he came into my room and sighed at me.

"Get up Shifu. I want you to visit the orphanage. You're taking this way too hard on yourself and you need to get out of your room," he growled.

"Why?" I snapped back.

"Fine," he sighed, "But you might as well go out and do something. People are starting to worry, including me. Go outside and stop acting like a damp mushroom," he snapped. Turning away without seeing whether I did as he wanted or not, he padded rather loudly out of the room, shutting the door loudly.

His harsh words stung me, and leaning heavily on my right leg, I got up stiffly, washed up in the washrooms, and limped painfully outside. Growling anxiously at the sky, I realized that this would take forever at my rate…not that I had anything better to do. Moving stiffly and sorely, I reached the village orphanage, near the outskirts of the village, by the time the sun was in the middle of the sky.

A sheep named Mr. Ying quickly opened the door and came out to greet me.

"Thank goodness you've come! We need your help!" he told me anxiously. Almost rolling my eyes, I was reminded of the irritating sheep Ming Yue, Baihehua, and I encountered so long ago.

"Yes," I said, urging him silently to hurry up and continue.

"There is a monster in our facility and we need you to get rid of her," he continued.

"Her?" I questioningly asked. What in the blazes was going on around here and why on earth were sheep so bad at elaborating, especially when they were frightened?

"She is named Tigress." No doubt what species this female was… "A couple weeks ago, her mother and father were murdered by bandits. A goose witness brought her to us, and at first she was no problem. Then, the students became terrified of her. Her teeth and claws are so deadly…you have to understand she could kill any of us," the sheep shuddered and I glared at him. Idiotic peasants…

"Have you tried talking to her?" I calmly asked.

"Yes, she says she just wants to play, but the other kids are so frightened of her. She must have done something…" he sighed.

"I would wait before judgment," I, rebuking, growled. The poor tiger probably only looked fierce…might as well sort this out before the town bursts into hysterics over a kit. As we completed our slow walk towards her room, I stopped at the hallway. Why did I smell metal…?

"She might escape…"Mr. Ying sighed, noticing my spreading fury.

"Even so, no little girl, however scary, should be kept in a room barred by iron and padlocks! She may be a tiger, but she is just a cub!" I snarled angrily. The sheep cowered a little at my rage, but managed to stammer.

"No one will come here to adopt a child because they're afraid of her. She's a monster! A monster!" he cried.

"Listen. Closely. To me! I am taking her to one of the empty rooms to deal with her. You and your employees are going to take away all the padlocks and bars, and clean and treat her room like you would any other," I hissed, glaring at him.

"But…" he started.

"Are we clear?" I warningly snarled.

"Yes…" he dejectedly sighed and left.

Taking the keys from him, I opened the door and stored them in a sewn in pocket in one of my wide sleeves. "Tigress, I am Shifu. I am-" I began to introduce myself to the sad kit curled up in the corner of her room.

"Afraid?" she interrupted with a snarl.

Confused, I shut the door from prying ears. "No," I said.

"Well you should be! I am Tigress, Tigress the monster!" she snarled and turned to me before realizing the full meaning of what she'd said. "The monster no one wants," she whimpered unhappily, turning her back to me again.

Furious at her so-called caretakers, I quickly intervened. "You are not a monster! You are a little girl," I said and she gasped in surprise. I could tell she was surprised that I, about the size of one of the bunnies and with no sharp claws of teeth, was not afraid of her. Searching my right sleeve, I fished out twenty-seven dominoes and spread them in a semi-circle by the time she looked at me. Picking one up, I offered it to her. She had probably never played a game before, much less with dominoes. "Let us play?" I asked.

Tigress tentatively reached for it and picked it up carefully. With a loud snap, it cracked in half and shot past my ear. Surprised, I lifted one leg and quickly caught it in my left hand. Trying to control my surprise at her strength, I realized that this was how I could help her. "You must learn to control your strength," I quietly told her.

Taking her to the empty large room as promised for use by Mr. Ying, I began to teach her flowing movements. They may have looked easy, but strength to keep the ease and flow of the steady motion for long was difficult, especially for the little kit.

"This game requires discipline, precision, a still hand, and a steady heart," I informed her, swaying my arms in a quick fluid like motion with the breeze. This would teach her agility and strength, important for battle. Pausing my thoughts, I wondered at myself. She was not going to battle! I was surprised out of my concerns when she accidentally slammed a paw through the wall when trying to rapidly copy my movements.

The eavesdropping facility and children of the orphanage screamed and raced away from the wall.

"Awww," she sighed.

"Focus," I ordered. After she got tired of that, we began with dominoes again. By the entranceway as I was about to take her outside, I showed her five dominoes. Throwing them into the air, I gave a quick spinning flip to the side, catching them all. Opening my hand to her curious eyes, I maneuvered them into a pattern stacked on top of each other. She gave a little gasp of amazement and I threw them up for her too. She jumped and proudly caught them, but held them all broken in her small paw. Furious, she snarled and threw them at the doorframe. "Again," I said. For the young tiger to get what she desired, she would have to learn discipline.

I left at the end of the day and Oogway didn't even seem to know that I had been gone. In my head, I vowed to train the little kit, but once her learning was complete, I must leave and let her find a home. After Tai Lung, I could not afford to make another mistake

with a child. The days progressed and I grew attached to the kit. It was two months later when the time had come to give her up.

We were practicing in the field that morning and I threw the dominoes into the air another time. "Again," I stated. When she landed and opened her fist, I felt a warm glow of pride from both of us surround me. She had finally caught them all. Taking her to her room, I drew a careful Yin Yang on the paper of a writing scroll. Showing her the beautiful symbol of peace, I explained that it was the also the shape of The Sacred Pool of Tears. I left out that Oogway showed me by letting me feel the ink of the drawing. A couple weeks of practice, and we went in the center of the village's grass circle to show them her new skills.

The others watched in fright for a moment, but after displaying her precise speed, beautiful movements, and carefulness, they became awed. Setting the dominoes down, she completed the large Yin Yang symbol and flicking one domino. They all turned into a beautiful image of it and they cheered with amazement. Several kids rushed up to start playing and congratulate her. Standing beside it, I backed off toward the door. It was my time to leave.

Deciding to come back in the evening and listen to figure out who adopted her, I climbed quickly into a tree. Uncomfortably, I realized I was sad for her to go. Reflecting, I knew that this was starting as with Tai Lung, but I could change that. Maybe I could correct my past errors with her. Shaking my head, I satisfied myself with the decision to find a student after she was adopted.

As the sun began to set, the doors opened and all the kids rushed out to greet their new parents. All, but one. Though the children loved her, the increased speed of her made her so much more deadly in their minds. Adoption time had passed…and no one had chosen her. Mr. Ying calmly reassured her and tried to lift her spirits as he guided her away, but I could feel her sadness and frustration.

Coming down, I heard him let her go to the center of the orphanage and sit on the picnic table. Walking through the doors, I quietly asked, "May I take Tigress home?" The old sheep brightened considerably and nodded.

Walking up behind her without a sound but my heartbeat, I heard her dejectedly set a lone domino on the table. Smiling slightly, I set mine next to hers, causing her to glance up.

"Shifu!" she exclaimed with a sweet happiness that touched me. Over the months, it seemed she felt connected to me like a father.

"Come, let us go home," I simply said, turning away. Her excitement and happiness spiked up high and she flipped from the table to run and join me. Grinning, I walked with her into the falling sun.

"Thank you baba," she purred and I stiffened in momentary shock. Unknowingly, she pressed her fur against mine. Sadly, I knew that I would have to be much stricter and detached from her than with my former student. But, feeling her warmth beside me, I felt a small glow of happiness.

It was almost night by the time we even reached the stairs to the Jade Palace, and unable to contain her excitement any longer, she raced up the steps. With an inaudible sigh, I slowly limped up after her. Climbing over a thousand stairs with my bad hip was not going to be easy. Eventually, she realized I was nowhere near as high as she was and she ran down to join me.

"Aren't you coming baba?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm just not very good at climbing stairs anymore. Sometime, I'll show you how to scale mountain though," I promised. That, I definitely was good at and could do on three limbs.

"I can teach you how to climb stairs," she brightened and I chuckled at her innocence.

"Tigress, I know how to climb stairs. I'm not as young as you are though and it's not as easy for me," I replied with a small smile. "You can run up I you like. I will join you," I told her, walking towards the side of the stairs. Curiously, she began to bounce up the stairs. Using my good leg to kick off and my hands and arms to pull, I dashed up the mountainside, reaching the top of the stairs just before her.

"Wow," she purred, sounding impressed. Turning, from her suddenly, I realized Oogway had joined us…and he was surprised, not to mention joined by four companions.

"When did you go to the orphanage?" he asked with surprise, and I realized that he had been gone the last month that I spent with Tigress.

"I've been going for the past two months Master," I told him. The little tiger hungrily took in all the sights and sounds and scents around her.

"Wow," she mewed again.

"Ah, Shifu, I see you've brought a friend. She will be happy with her four new playmates," he added.

"What?" I yelped in shock. Surely he didn't mean…?

"You never told me that you had already found a student. After the past month, I have found you four," he chuckled.

"Hi," Tigress eagerly greeted them and they began to converse as I stood, rooted to the spot in amazement.

"I can't train five students, Master," I quietly protested in a low voice so they couldn't hear.

"All of them are already experienced and have shown me great skill. You were always good at teaching. You'll be fine," he told me and I felt a little shudder of surprise. Tai Lung had not been what he could have been because of me.

"I could not set Tai Lung's paws in the right path," I sighed.

"Who's Tai Lung?" Tigress piped up and I glanced at her nervously. How on earth would I tell her that?

"He was a student," Oogway answered in a voice that allowed no more questions. Tigress seemed slightly put out, but then went back to talking with her new friends.

"Master-" I started.

"Shifu, I believe in you. You have learned from both of your mistakes and now, you can start over," he told me.

"Yes, Master," I sighed wearily.

Moving to the children, he began to introduce them to me. "Crane is seven and he is one of the best students from a large Kung Fu academy. Mantis is eight and he is protector of one of the villages up north. Monkey is seven and was a prankster with great skill, and

now uses it for good. Viper is seven and is a venom less ribbon dancer who protects one of the southern villages," he said.

"Tigress is eight and has extraordinary strength which I have taught her to keep in check," I told him with pride in my voice and a little praise.

So began my training with five new students. Though I loved them all, especially my little Tigress, I began to emotionally and mentally distance myself from them. I didn't even tell them about the Dragon Scroll yet. All this was in fear that they would become like Tai Lung, and I was especially worried about Tigress, who seemed to become more and more like him every day.

A week had passed and Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis had colds. I'm guessing it was from all the traveling with Oogway. Tigress and I were in the training hall. Of course, she didn't use Tai Lung's course. She was far too young! She used the dummy we first practiced on.

Meowing little, "Ha!" and, "Hiya!" noises, she flipped and kicked toward it before slamming a paw directly into its center. Her strength surprised me, for instead of swinging down and back up, it flew back to hit the wall. I shivered momentarily, remembering Tai Lung. Hardening my face, I remembered I needed to be as detached as possible. She gave a little happy noise of pride, but I forced myself to ignore it and look for the flaws.

Limping over, I used Ming Yue's flute that I had usually in her honor, to adjust her leg and arm quickly. Padding on, I shook my head sadly, wondering how I could possibly stop her destiny that seemed entwined with my son's. As I limped away to leave her to practice alone, I felt her hurt, sadness, and confusion trailing after me as she sighed.

Climbing up into the large tree outside of the Training Hall, I listened to the nature flowing around me to calm my racing mind. I must have fallen asleep, for when I woke up; Oogway was entering the training hall. Carefully climbing down the tree, I climbed up onto the roof to listen.

"Why are you upset Tigress?" Oogway softly asked and I flinched and her small sad sniffles.

"I know I should be happy and grateful that Shifu brought me here, but he doesn't seem to like me anymore. His eyes are so cold when he looks at me, and I don't know why coming here changed him so much. Does he hate me?" she asked fearfully. I sighed. She couldn't ever understand that I was doing this for the good of the village and mostly her. I didn't want her to feel the pain Tai Lung did or have to make his choices.

"No, little one. I'm sure he loves you very much. You once asked him about Tai Lung. He didn't want to tell you, but I think you need to now. It's why he does what he does," the tortoise sighed.

With a small groan, I wondered if him telling her would make things better or worse. Resigned to the fact he would eventually tell her anyway, I simply listened as he began.

"Tai Lung was a baby snow leopard that was orphaned and left outside the Jade Palace. Shifu took him in and him raised him. Now, there is a scroll called the Dragon Scroll. It brings great power to its wielder. The Dragon Warrior reads that scroll, and he will discover the secret to unlimited power. The Dragon Warrior is one of pure heart, and will stop a great evil from destroying the village. Tai Lung wanted to be just that, and Shifu loved him, believed in him, and told him he was destined for greatness. In a way, he raised his hopes too much. That is why he is distancing himself from you," Oogway told her.

"What was wrong with wanting to be the Dragon Warrior?" Tigress asked, sounding awed. I wanted her to be the Dragon Warrior, but I was not about to raise her hopes so much.

"The day I determined whether or not he was indeed the chosen one, and I found he wasn't. He did not match my prophecy. Shifu was sad, but he wouldn't argue with me. This sparked Tai Lung's rage. Kept from the thing he had fought so hard to achieve, and even kept away by his master was too much. He took his rage out on the village, though fortunately, nobody died," he continued sadly. "Shifu came back with me to the Moon Pool, which is where it is. Maybe I will show you sometime. Tai Lung burst through the door and raced for the scroll, and Shifu had to stop him…"

Tigress seemed very agitated now, and I realized she was frightened of what would happen next.

"He jumped at him, but he couldn't stop the son he had created. Tai Lung broke his leg and sent him flying across the room. As he jumped for the Dragon Scroll, I defeated him by attacking his pressure points. Shifu has never been the same since that. The betrayal of his son hurt him," the tortoise quietly explained to Tigress.

"I would never betray him," she protested sadly.

"Tigress, I'm sure he loves you, but his mistakes in the past stop him from showing it. You remind him of Tai Lung, but that is not your fault," he sighed.

"Then I will make him so proud of me that he has to love me," she growled determinedly, and I flinched. Tai Lung made me so proud that he always longed for more, and now, Tigress wanted me to be proud so she tried anything she could. Sliding down from the roof, I left them alone. She could never understand.

Over many years, I became extremely strict with them, continued to learn from my Master Oogway, and mastered all of the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. Tigress never told the others about my past, and I never brought it up with them.


	8. The Dragon Warrior

A couple months after I began my training with my students, Tai Lung was imprisoned. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, but I also knew it wasn't my entire fault. Twenty years passed from his betrayal.

Today, the Furious Five, my so nicknamed students, became masters earlier this morning. Oogway was to decide if one of them was the Dragon Warrior at noon. I wasn't sure what the wait was for, but as usual, I didn't question him. I kept their master names as their warrior names, for Xiongmeng and me never were referred to by our master names except from enemies or gossipers who learned theses names from our enemies.

I had given my students a day to train how they liked. I didn't worry about them skipping training, for they never did. Feeling proud and peaceful, I decided to go sit underneath the large tree just outside of the training hall.

Picking up Ming Yue's flute, I began to play. I missed her so much and Oogway had taught me how to play. Closing my eyes, I felt calm and serene as I began a song I composed a long time ago. Peace filled me as the notes cascaded down the mountains, rising and falling, low and echoing. I felt so tranquil, before it suddenly grew to exasperation. There was a small crackle of a lone leaf maybe several feet behind me.

Quickly, my students raced towards me as my song drifted off to an end, knowing they had lost the advantage of surprise. Opening my eyes, though of course I couldn't see, I appeared as if I could, as I had done so many years. Using the flute as a blocking and striking weapon, I flipped and jumped. Leaping up, I slammed Viper to the ground, blocked and spun Tigress away, dazed Crane with a head strike, and ricocheted Mantis off before blocking Monkey. Tigress and Crane were the first to recover, aiming for a second attack. Fending them off, I expertly twirled the flute behind my back and stood in the middle of them as they stopped, panting for breath.

I knew they had simply been trying a surprise attack, not training, but I began to lecture them anyway. "Well done, students. If you were trying to disappoint me, Tigress, you need more ferocity; Monkey, greater speed," I growled, pointing to each of them with my flute in turn, "Crane, height; Mantis-"

"Master Shifu," a new voice popped up next to me.

"What?" I snarled, slightly annoyed at whoever the intruder was. Snapping the flute towards him, I realized it was Zeng, one of our messenger geese.

"Aaagh!" he yelped. "It's Master Oogway. He wants to see you," he stammered, jumping back in surprise. What would my master possibly want that couldn't be said in front of my students? Without saying a word, I rushed off to see what was wrong. There must be something wrong for him to summon me like this. Dashing past the geese who opened and closed the door for me, I skidded to a stop and slowly exhaled. Punching my fist to my palm in respect, I closed my eyes briefly.

"Master Oogway, you summoned me. Is something wrong?" I asked, turning to him. I knew he was meditating from his lack of speech and absurdly large amount of candles surrounding him. Listening carefully, I heard him unbend from the top of his long wooden peach staff.

"Why must something be wrong for me to want to see my old friend?" he asked gently.

"So, nothing's wrong?" I asked back, feeling slightly confused. He usually never called for me unless it was important. And I wasn't that old! Whether I felt like it or not was a different matter…

"I didn't say that," he peevishly said, before turning away from me worriedly. Taking a deep breath, he slowly blew out a candle, and then another. Flicking my ears and gaze from him to the candles and back, I waited as he blew out a third and a fourth. Finally, he turned towards me, only to turn and blow out yet another candle. Right eye twitching, I could take this no longer. Swiftly pulling back, I shot my arms forward at the candles. There was aloud whoosh of noise and they all went out from the air current I had created. The smoke began to fill the air ad I tried not to cough.

"You were saying," I reminded him.

"I have had a vision," he told me, "Tai Lung will return."

Stiffening in shock, I remembered part of my dream with the beast with the golden eyes, tearing at the smaller shadow. The wolf's chi, Oogway told me when I asked him about my dream, seemed to match the first shadow. Tehn-Xiu had taken my mother, Baihehua, and Ming Yue. Tai Lung was the second and he betrayed me, was coming again to do who knows what, and would undoubtedly be doing something else. Part of it was guaranteed that he would take revenge by killing the villagers we protected, and ironically, it would be all my fault.

Breathing hard in fear, I yelled at Oogway, "That is impossible! He is in prison!" I turned to him for reassurance, but my heart froze at his next words.

"Nothing is impossible." Flattening my ears in fear, I turned to Zeng immediately as he came closer.

"Zeng! Fly to Chorh-Gom Prison! Tell them to double the guards, double the weapons, double everything! Tai Lung does not leave that prison!" I shouted angrily. Though Xiongmeng had gathered many warriors to fit the purpose of guarding my student, it might not be adequate.

Flustered at my shouting, he yelped, "Yes Master Shifu!" Hurriedly flying away, he slammed into a support pole before leaving.

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it," Oogway sighed and began to plod away. Ugh… I never quite got used to how he always talked with such mystery and including many old Chinese proverbs.

Trying to bring him into focus on the importance of the situation, I caught up to him, growling, "We have to do something! We can't just let him march down the valley…and take his revenge! He'll-he'll-" Finally, I couldn't continue as my mind raced in frantic circles and my own fear scent overwhelmed me.

"Your mind is like this water my friend," Oogway interrupted, stopping at the Moon Pool. Raising an eyebrow, I waited for him to explain. "When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear," he murmured, tapping the water with his staff, creating a pinging noise.

Glancing up, I remembered his vision. "The Dragon Scroll?" I asked.

"It is time," he affirmed.

"But who? Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power…to become the Dragon Warrior?" I asked in wonder. Would it be my little Tigress?

"I don't know," he replied in a confused tone, both irritatingly calm and as if asking 'why are you asking me.' For a few seconds, all I could do was gape at him in disbelief.

With a disappointed sigh, I said, "I'll go get my students ready." As I walked outside, I searched out one of the messenger geese.

"Go tell some of the pigs that the Dragon Warrior is about to be named and they must find some things for the Furious Five to show their fighting skill son. You, go hand something up in the village that says something about the event," I growled irritably before hurriedly heading to the front of the Training Hall where I had left my students. I wasn't surprised that when I arrived, they were still waiting for my return.

"What did Master Oogway want?" Tigress carefully asked.

"He has learned that Tai Lung will return and we must name the Dragon Warrior. Meet us in the courtyard in half an hour," I told them.

"Why don't we all go fight him? Surely all of us will have a greater chance of defeating him," Mantis said.

Before any of the others could start asking me any more questions, I snapped, "No, it is the Dragon Warrior's destiny to do this." Turning away, I headed toward the courtyard and stopped at the platform between the entryway to the Jade Palace and the actual square

itself. The workers began to put up equipment and the villagers slowly arrived, chattering nonstop with growing excitement. It took a long time for everyone to arrive, but the last of them began to come and Oogway started to approach me.

Attempting to brighten my mood in his presence, I said, "It is an historic day, is it not, Master Oogway?"

"Yes, the one I feared I would not live to see," he replied, "Are your students ready?"

"Yes Master Oogway," I answered, straightening a little in pride. They had grown to be the fiercest warriors in China.

"Now, notice old friend, whomever I choose will not only bring peace to this valley, but also to you," he said, as usual, answering my unspoken questions wit a hidden meaning.

Gazing in his direction as he strode by, I knew he was reminding me that Tai Lung had to be destroyed and that I should not try to change it. Though he maybe deserved it, I couldn't let that happen…there had to be some other way…but what?

"Let the tournament begin," a pig's voice interrupted my thoughts and I quickly limped over to stand by Oogway. Then, the door was shut and several pigs began to beat their drums.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace, it is my honor to present to you, Tigress, Viper Crane, Monkey, Mantis, The Furious Five!" I proudly announced. Pushing my worries to the back of my mind, I listened for my students. Knowing them, they would arrive in style.

As I presumed, all five did arrive spectacularly. All five leapt from higher up the mountain and spiraled down to land and show off for an enthusiastic crowd.

"Warriors prepare, ready for battle!" I announced. The Thousand Tongues of Fire were lit and Crane flew high up into the air, dazzling the crowd. Though he dodged and twirled with graceful efficiency, Oogway sad nothing. He didn't speak as Viper, Monkey, and Mantis demonstrated their abilities. Finally, it was Tigress's turn. She reminded me a lot of Ming Yue, and though I liked all the others, she was my favorite.

"And finally, Master Tigress. Believe me, citizens, you have not seen anything yet," I proudly complimented her before continuing. "Master Tigress face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death," I announced. As she defeated it swiftly and ferociously, I hear everyone gasp and turn in Oogway's direction.

"I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us," he said. Giving a curt nod to the drummers and a flick of my ears to my students, I heard a ceremonial beat and my students arranged themselves formally into a line.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace, Master Oogway will now choose the Dragon Warrior," I announced. As he made his way slowly down the stairs, I listened in anticipating silence.

Suddenly, a loud firework went off into the air. Who'd set them off early? Also…who was yelling? The voice got louder and I gradually realized that someone was falling. Since I'd learned the differing scents of different animals, I recognized it was a panda…and apparently, it must have tied itself to the firework for some reason, as the scent of singed fur was coming closer.

Splat! The panda bounced to the ground on his mass of fat. Dazed, he laid still for a few moments in the shocked and awkward silence.

"Ooooohhh, he moaned as he slowly woke up, "What's going on? Where, ah-" The Furious Five seemed slightly worried, but mostly annoyed at the clumsy oaf, but he continued, "What are you pointing…?" Flicking my ears forward, I could scent Tigress's barely concealed excitement and the others' disappointment. My little Tigress was the Dragon Warrior! "Okay, okay, sorry," the fat fool sighed, getting to his feet, "I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was." So that's what he had been doing. I couldn't believe he was using fireworks to do that, but it was actually pretty clever.

"How interesting," Oogway murmured. Why wasn't anyone talking?

"Master, are you pointing to me?" the tiger asked, her tone incredulous, but growing more and more excited. I knew she deserved it though. She would save the valley, for after all, she was my best pupil, second only to Tai Lung.

"Him," Oogway corrected and I felt disappointed. How could it not be her…? Oh well, was it Mantis, Monkey, or Crane? The panda began to move around a lot and I felt Tigress turn from shock to disappointment to rage. What on earth was he doing to get her so mad?

"You," Oogway startled me. Who?

"Me!" the panda yelped. Him?

"The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior," he announced. No! This was impossible! My little Tigress couldn't just be passed up for a big fat panda! But he was…

"What?" the guy asked, sounding rightfully confused.

"What?" the five gasped in unison.

"What?" I shouted with anger.

"What?" a honking voice of a goose came from the now open doorway.

Clang! The pig who had been the announcer rang a cymbal and I growled at him. Flattening my ears, I snatched his drumstick and silently threatened to beat him with it, but it was too late. The villagers were oblivious to what was going wrong and I intended to keep it that way, …but confetti? It was raining down from the cheering crowd.

"Stop! Wait! Who told you to-?" I yelped furiously as a parade of ducks ran past me, carrying a throne.

Flattening my ears angrily, I skidded down the stairs to catch up to the tortoise. "Wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the answer to-" I yelled before lowering my voice from the unsuspecting villagers, "Our problem. You were about to point at Tigress and that thing fell I front of her! That was just an accident!" I was doing a lot of arm gestures, and probably looked ridiculous considering I was blind, but now I was beyond caring.

"There are no accidents," Oogway replied in a reprimanding tone.

Crunch! I turned to the sudden noise. The disgustingly obese panda had broken completely through the bamboo throne. Glancing back towards the tortoise, I gestured pointedly to him. Oogway simply chuckled and continued to walk away. My right eye began to twitch and I began to wonder how this was even possible.

"Forgive us, Master. We have failed you," Tigress mewed, punching her fist into her palm. Shocked at an almost unbearable sadness and overwhelming shame emitting from her, I turned to her.

"No," I growled, waving an arm to stop her. "If the panda has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you, I solemnly assured them.

With my tactics, the panda would be running, screaming, out of these doors in no time. Taking my silent students, each lost in his or her own thoughts, I walked with them slightly behind the struggling pigs and ducks, who were having a hard time carrying the panda. Shooing them away to train, I silently moved to the side as they went through the doors, dumped the panda down on the floor, and shut the door again. Walking toward the entrance between the poles near the Moon Pool, I could hear him talking to himself.

"Wait, hang on, heh heh, I think there's been a slight mistake. Uh, everyone seems to think that I'm, uh," he began to call through the doors before viewing his surroundings fully for the first time. "Whooaaah! The Sacred Hall of Warriors, no way! Look at this place!" he marveled, before gasping, "Master Flying Rhino's Armor…with authentic battle damage!"

Xiongmeng had certainly given his enemies worse things to remember though than small scratches on armor.

The panda suddenly ran at something else, crying, "Whooaaah! The Sword of Heroes…said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by looking-Ow!" he yelped, sucking a finger.

The majestic sword was from the Battle of Weeping Willow. My students and I went to battle several thousand rats that had overwhelmed a duck village. The small villagers made the sword with vengeance in their hearts against the rodents that killed their families. We fought hard and won, especially with Tigress at the heat of the fight, winning with the mighty Sword of Heroes. Jerking myself back into the present again, I listened to our avid new fan.

"The Invisible Trident of Destiny," he gasped and I nearly let out a snort of laughter. Xiongmeng, always the annoying comedian, had made that up as a trick. Wow, I missed his sense of obnoxious, and yet, humorous, behavior.

"I've only seen paintings of this painting," he marveled. Heaven knows which one he actually was talking about. I couldn't paint very well, but Master Oogway loved too. Amazingly enough, he had probably made more paintings than scrolls.

"Ahahaha!" the panda excitedly shouted as he passed Baihehua's Blades of Fury, including my two battle swords.

"Ahaha!" he gasped at Oogway's Glove of Steel and passing Ming Yue's shield with a jade stone embedded in the center.

Exhaling loudly, he raced over to something else with amazed cries of, "Noooo! The Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors…said to contain the souls of the entire Tehn-Xiu army!" Deciding to put a stop to this before he broke something in his glee, I started to walk towards the Moon Pool.

The Wolf Souls, otherwise known as the bomb pieces that Tehn-Xiu used when he attacked us, had somehow turned in the villagers' minds to literal quiet souls of wolves.

"Hello," the stupid panda began to call, voice echoing into the urn. Wow…he actually thought that they could talk back to him. I had three words for him: What. A. Moron.

"Have you finished sightseeing?" I asked in a low and echoing tone, unable to help tricking this guy. He was so gullible and obviously had terrible hearing, as he couldn't tell I was right behind him.

"Sorry, I should have come to see you first," he apologized and I almost burst into hysterics. I'd better finish this before he had a long conversation with it.

"My patience is wearing thin," I warned. Now, he certainly should be able to tell it wasn't the urn speaking to him.

"Oh, well… I mean, it's not like you were going anywhere," he protested. With an inward sigh, I decided to order him to turn around so that he could face me.

"Do turn around," I curtly snapped.

"Sure…hey, how's it going?" he said to me before turning back to the urn. "How do you get five thou-Master Shifu!" he gasped. Finally!

"Ooohh!" he suddenly gasped as the urn fell and crashed to the ground with a loud shatter, making a few of the shards inside go off and a little green smoke fill the air. "Someone broke that, but I'm going to fix it. I'll-I'll- Do you have some…glue?" he stammered as I glared at him. "Ow, ouch, splinter!" he yelped, as he clumsily knocked over the pedestal, hitting his head.

"So…you're the legendary Dragon Warrior, hmmm?" I calmly asked, faking a smile at him.

"Um, I guess so?" he stammered.

"Wrong! You're not the Dragon Warrior! You will never be the Dragon Warrior, until you learn the secret of the Dragon Scroll!" I snapped, pointing upwards to it with my flute.

"Whoa…so, how does this work? Do you have a ladder…or a trampoline?" he began cautiously.

"Hmhmhm, you think it's that easy? That I'm just going to hand you the secret to limitless power?" I growled, gently fingering the flute before glaring at him. As if I would ever give the scroll to a fat idiot like him! Over my dead body!

"No, I-!" he flinched.

"One must first master the highest level of Kung Fu and that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you," I snarled, slowly walking down the steps to circle him.

"Someone like me?" he asked.

"Yes, look at you! This fat butt, flabby arms," I growled critically, moving around him and hitting him sharply with the flute, making him yelp. As I moved behind him, he began to protest.

"These are sensitive in the flabby parts," he whined.

Reversing direction behind him, I slapped his arm with the flute; surprising him and making him flinch. "And this ridiculous belly," I spat, shoving him with the tip and hearing him back up.

"Hey," he grunted, before shuffling his feet awkwardly as he bumped into the urn he had broken.

"And utter disregard for personal hygiene," I finished, turning away and twirling the flute behind my back. Leaning away, I realized he did smell know that I actually thought about it.

"Hey, wait a minute. That's a little uncalled for," he indignantly said. His voice contained a tint of anger and I smiled inwardly. Good.

"Don't stand that close. I can smell your breath," I growled, halting him with one hand.

"Listen, Oogway said that I was-" he started, reaching out to point at me. Grabbing it, I grinned as he gasped in astonishment and fear. This was my little bluff now.

"The Wuxi finger hold-not the Wuxi finger hold," he whimpered.

"Oh, you know this hold?" I chuckled, perfectly aware that he did.

"Developed by Master Wuxi in the third dynasty, yes," he elaborated worriedly. I grinned, as I knew that this was mostly just a warning move. It was supposed to look so odd that it wouldn't be done unless it was imposing. There was no Master Wuxi, only Oogway who had made that up. After the enemy paused, you could then do whatever suited your purpose with incredible power to look as if it was a 'magical' almost move.' I'd never really done it because the enemy would have to die to keep the legend going. I never nor would ever take a life…I even made Tai Lung promise that, though I doubted he would keep to his word if he got loose.

"Oh, then you must know what happens when I flex my pinkie," I threatened, making as if to carry out the deed.

"No, no, no, no," he wailed.

"You know the hardest part of this? The hardest part is cleaning up afterwards," I smoothly told him, leering menacingly, and even laughing for the effect. This was going to be very amusing indeed.

"Okay, okay, take it easy," he pleaded. Suddenly scowling at his submissive behavior, I glowered at his pathetically whining form, still nervously shaking.

"Now, listen closely, panda! Oogway may have picked you, but when I'm through with you, I promise you, you're going to wish he hadn't!" I snarled. Loosening up, I demanded, "Are we clear?"

"Oh, yeah. We're clear. We are so clear," he, appeasing, assured me.

"Good. Hmhmhm, I can't wait to get started," I chuckled, grinning sarcastically. Letting go of him, I whirled abruptly and began by leading him to the Training Hall. I was determined to beat his enthusiasm. He was going to be out of the Jade Palace by tomorrow, whether he liked it or not.

Leaving my flute outside, I remained silent until we reached the Training Hall. Slamming open the doors, I waited and listened as the panda gasped…with excitement.

Tigress was leaping along the Swinging Claws while Crane deflected arrows on Jade Tortoise. Tigress leapt unto the bowl to fight Crane s Mantis bounced though the Gator Gauntlet. Viper slithered and jumped along the Field of Flames as Monkey swung through the Seven Talon Rings. Bounding back to the Swinging claws, Tigress dodged and jumped before smashing a club, sending a sharp missile purposely into the panda's forehead.

"Ow! Oooh…" he cried, dabbing a paw at the sore spot.

"Let's begin," I said, crossing my arms.

"Wit, wait, wait. What?" he yelped incredulously, "Now?"

"Yes, now-unless you think the great Oogway was wrong and you are not the Dragon Warrior," I mocked him angrily, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, okay. I don't know if I can do all those moves…" he stammered anxiously.

"Hmhmhm. If we don't try, we'll never know, will we?" I asked. Turning away, I limped ahead of him, along the wooden path.

"Uh, yeah. It's just, maybe we could find something more suited to my…level," he weakly tried. I almost rolled my eyes in exasperation. There were no levels. In Kung Fu at the Jade Palace, he would simply be a student or a master…not that he'd ever be a master.

"And what level is that?" I skeptically muttered.

"Well, I'm not a master," he started and I nearly growled at him. Of course he wasn't! "Lets just start at zero, level zero," he said hopefully.

"Oh, no," I chuckled, "There is no such thing as level zero." Having mockingly informed him of this, I stopped as we reached the end of the trail.

"Hey! Maybe I can start with that!" he excitedly exclaimed. Twisting in confusion, I pinpointed where he was heading. Really?

"That? We use that for training children and for propping the door open when it's hot," I slowly drawled with disbelief. That was what we practiced on once when I was nine years old! Figuring this would be amusing, I added, "But if you insist." Folding my arms, I listened as my students stopped training and curiously began to approach. Sensing I wasn't about to stop them, they stopped next to me.

I expected the panda to be intimidated at least by them, but of course, he wasn't. "Whoa, the Furious Five! You're so much bigger than your action figures…except for you Mantis. You're about the same," he marveled. This would be easy to turn them against him, as they all seemed annoyed and angry, especially Mantis after the panda's comment.

"Go ahead, panda. Show us what you can do," I ordered him. Once the others saw how bad he would be even as a warrior, they would certainly pressure him into quitting. Then, Master Oogway would have to name Tigress as the Dragon Warrior. He would never keep the panda here against his will.

"Um, are they going to watch or should I just wait until they get back to work or something?" he mumbled with a faint hint of nervousness. Or something.

"Hit it!" I snapped.

"Okay, yeah. I just…ate, so I'm still…digesting. My Kung Fu might not e as good as…later on," he said. Annoyed, I knew he was either stalling, or making some other kind of lame excuse.

"Just hit it!" I growled impatiently, using my no-nonsense tone.

He must have noticed that I was about to hit him if he didn't do what I said, so he quickly sighed, "Alright." Walking to the dummy, he started to drone, "What'ch you got? You got nothing cause I got it right here. You picking on my friends? Well, get ready to fell the thunder. Come on with the crazy feet. What'ch you going to do about the crazy feet? Come on, I'm a blur. I'm a blur. You never seen bear style, only…praying mantis…or monkey style. Oooh ooh, ahh ah" The idiot was taunting an inanimate object! Monkey seemed annoyed at the inaccurate imitation of him and the panda was still bouncing around on his 'crazy feet.' "Or maybe…snickety snake," he continued. Okay, this had to stop!

Shaking with annoyance, I flattened my ears and pointed to the dummy, yelling, "Would you hit it?"

"Alright," he said in a wounded tone, stopping and saying, "Alright," again. Lightly leaning forward, he gave it a tiny tap and stepped back nervously to wait for further instruction.

Turning to him, I growled with utter disgust, "Why don't you try again?" Mockingly, I added, "A little harder." Now, he'd be in for a big surprise.

"How's this?" ha, satisfied, asked as he punched the dummy with all the might he could muster…just as Yingzi had. "Ow!" he yelped loudly as the thing bounced off the ground and back up to hit him in the face. The hefty blow sent him flying into the air and a tooth rolling to my feet.

The Furious Five instinctively stepped forward to help him, but I angrily signaled them to halt. Smiling, I listened as he painfully skidded along the Swinging Claws, even ending up doing the splits. Even the others and I flinched at that. Understandably, he was in an extremely painful position for an inflexible obese male like him.

"Ow! Oh, that hurts!" he yelped in agony as he was stuck there. Because one of the swinging clubs, that was not for long. One hit him straight in the face, sending him into the Jade Tortoise.

"This will be easier than I thought," I victoriously told the Furious Five with a slight smirk.

"I'm feeling a little nauseous! Oh, these are hard!" he yowled in pain as he stumbled through the Gator Gauntlet, hitting himself numerous times with the studded arms. Suddenly, he groaned, "Ooooh! My tenders…ow…aw…" Crane, Mantis, and Monkey flinched too. Staggering up, he was hit several more times before staggering up onto the platform of the Field of Flames. Viper hissed nervously.

"Uh oh," the unfortunate panda stammered.

Tigress and the others flinched as he was repeatedly burnt, yelling out in his agony. Even I flinched and flattened my ears at a few points before turning to face him again.

Gasping, he dragged himself over to me, singed for crackling. "How'd I do?" he groaned. He was kidding, right?

"There is now a level zero," I replied, reaching out and extinguishing a small spark in the fur on the top f his head. Slumping back to the ground, he groaned and I heard the others leave the room, muttering to themselves and each other.

Turning, I let them all go and even practiced myself on the course. Swiftly going through everything with my advanced moves, I felt slightly calmer. In a way, I missed training, with the exhilarating fighting and no worries. With a small sigh, I decided to go up the mountain and listen to find out if the panda would just quit already. Moving slightly behind the panda who was a good way behind the Furious Five, I used all my hearing skills to my advantage.

"There are no words," Monkey sighed.

"No denying that," Crane agreed.

"I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking. The poor guy's just going to get himself killed," Viper sympathetically added. No, I wouldn't ever do that to him. Though it was tempting, he really actually had some admirable qualities, just not physical ones.

"He's so mighty! The Dragon Warrior fell out of the sky on a ball of fire," Crane sarcastically mocked. Well, rumors did turn into huge exaggerations around here often.

"When he walks, the ground shakes," antis cleverly teased.

Laughing at his joke, they continued up the slope. "One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone who actually knew Kung Fu," Tigress hissed angrily

"Yeah, or could at least touch his toes," Crane added skeptically to he statement.

"Or even see his toes," Monkey added, causing the others to burst into another fit of hysterics. Satisfied, I knew that the panda was listening too and decided to leave. I was tired and so, I headed to my bedroom, moving silently through the undergrowth.

Emptying my mid in my bed, I fell asleep, pleading silently that Tai Lung would not escape and the panda would be gone tomorrow.


	9. Impossible

The night seemed way too short when I woke up, but I stretched, got up, and went to meet my students before the gong sounded, as always. The morning was warm and I was sorry to leave the climate and go inside.

Bong! The gong rang loudly. "Good morning Master," the all chorused, quickly exiting their rooms.

Trying to scent around them, I listened. "Panda! Panda!" I called. Storming to his room, I opened the doors, I yelled, "Wake up!" Hearing nothing, I grinned and chuckled, "Hmhmhm, he's quit." Satisfied, I left the bedrooms with my students behind me.

In a slightly better mood, but still worried about Tai Lung, I walked the Furious Five to another part of the palace outside for training. Grinning triumphantly, I focused on enjoying the nature around me.

What do we do now Master? With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?" Viper curiously asked.

"All we can do is resume our training and trust that, in time, the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed," I replied. This worried me too though, for the true hero must be found before Tai Lung returned. What if Oogway went to get the panda back instead of naming Tigress as the chosen one? Turning at a sudden grunting noise, I shoved open the door.

Dismayed, I found a groaning panda, still here, trying to do the splits with each leg rested on two elevated, heavily woven ropes.

"What are you doing here?" I yelled angrily. How could he not have left after yesterday? I was sure I had gotten rid of him. Then, I realized that he scented of Oogway. Master must have given him a sort of…pep talk. Why? Did he want us all to be doomed and the village blown to smithereens?

"Aaagh! Good morning Master. Ah, just thought I'd warm up," he groaned, stretching, as if trying to convince me.

Obviously, he misunderstood my question. Flattening my ears, I curtly growled, "You're stuck." Oh well, at least I could embarrass him further before getting him to quit.

"Stuck, aha, what, stuck? Nah, this is just my…yeah, I'm stuck," he sadly admitted.

Glaring at him, I motioned to Crane. "Help him," I growled. As much as I wanted to leave him there, it would be a lot easier for me to get him to leave if I allowed him to be physically able to leave. I did feel a little sorry for him though. He had probably been there most of the night.

"Oh dear," Crane interrupted my thoughts, moving to the struggling panda. Grabbing on to him, he struggled with his wings to pull him off.

"Maybe on three. One, two…three," he yelped as he was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. I could tell Crane was disgusted, but much too polite to word it. "Thank you," the panda added, only making Crane's temper and humiliation worse.

"Don't mention it," my student said sharply, turning away.

"No, really. I appreciate it," he idiotically continued to persist the matter; unaware that it was bad enough to have Crane annoyed. He was usually very calm and mild tempered about most things. I suspected that he spent a lot of his free time with Oogway.

"Ever," he elaborated.

"You actually thought that you could learn to do a full split in one night?" I snarled at his foolishness. Throwing a couple ceramic practice plates into the air, I snapped, "It takes years to develop one's flexibility! And years longer to apply it in combat." As Tigress moved into a ready crouch, I snapped my fingers at her.

Leaping high into the air, she did a perfect split, destroying the two plats in a furious and efficient blow. Landing neatly, she turned her back on him and walked over to me, giving him a huff of contempt. Rubble rained down on his head as he gaped at her, not even moving when a large chunk of broken ceramic hit him on the head. Carefully, he leaned down and picked it up.

"Put that down!" I snarled, flattening my ears. How dare he make something my daughter had touched into a sort of prize? Angrily, I snapped, "The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones!"

"Yeah. Hahaha. Excellent," he chuckled, throwing the shrapnel over his shoulder. He apparently either forgot or disregarded his experiences yesterday if he was so enthusiastic for today.

"Let's begin," I grinned. Waking down to the courtyard with them, I snapped my fingers. Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey arranged themselves in a line beside me. Viper prepared to fight the panda, smelling of curled up mischief.

I could tell also, that he clearly underestimated her and she would definitely use that to her advantage. "Are you ready?" she asked, and though it sounded like she was asking him, I got the feeling she was asking her friend if they were ready to see her beat the heck out of the guy.

"I was born ready," the panda teased. Before he could even move, Viper spun him into the air, slammed a sharp tail tip into his stomach, and crashed her tail down on his head, throwing him against the ground with obvious amusement.

"I'm sorry, brother, I thought you said you were ready," Viper mockingly teased him and I chuckled. Certainly that had to annoy or embarrass him.

Instead, I got the exact opposite of annoyance…more enthusiasm. He could become famous with his dangerously high levels of enthusiasm. "That was awesome! Let's go again!" he shouted happily, clapping his hands. Viper was even shocked at that, and turned to me, in confusion as to what she should do now.

Clenching my teeth, I snapped my fingers to Monkey, motioning to the rack of bamboo combat poles, standing at the side of the courtyard. He took one as the panda did. Not knowing how to use it, he only stood in mild bewilderment as Monkey limbered up, slammed him several times, and paused as the panda said, "Oh," after his yelps of pain. Just as he understood what he was supposed to do with his pole, Monkey knocked him flat on his back.

Crane was next, taking to his favorite spot, the Jade Tortoise. The disgusting panda took awhile and a little help from the others to balance on the rim. Eventually, he took a step forward, immediately fell into it, and began to roll around the inside, laughing the whole time.

Mantis was even smaller than me, and I don't underestimate his power, but even he beat up the huge panda with extreme ease. The Furious Five beat him up for the rest of the day, and the sun took a long time to finally fall, making the day colder. I wasn't cruel enough to use Tigress against him, and she seemed annoyed at that fact. Even I came nearly to the point of exploding. Why wouldn't he just give up? Mantis defeated him, for about the seventh time, and I waited impatiently. Slammed to the ground, he punched a fist into his palm, not with respect, but asking for more.

"I've been taking it easy on you panda, but no more. Your next opponent will be me," I grinned. Tigress seemed surprised that if I wasn't letting her fight him, that I would, but I wanted to get rid of him without tearing him to shreds. Plus, this would amuse me to personally beat him up. His excitement suddenly spiked and I knew he wanted to get back at me. He seriously underestimated me.

"All right. Yeah, let's go," he enthusiastically said, standing up. The Furious Five smelled nervous and I knew they had good reason for it. I never fought with all my skill and strength, especially when training my students. My power was too great to do this without causing many deaths, and so, I wasn't going to fight the panda like that. Although, I certainly wasn't going to go easy on him.

"Step forth," I ordered him, limping closer and closing my eyes momentarily. As he took a step eagerly, I grabbed him, flipping him over and over my head as fast as I could. Wow, he was heavy!

"Aaagh!" he yelped in surprise as I made him dizzy.

"Your true path to victory is finding your opponent's weakness and make him suffer for it," I snarled. Throwing him down hard against the stone floor, I cracked the joints in his knuckles, twisting his opposite ear up so he could face me, but pinning him to the ground with a foot on his neck.

"Oh yeah," he laughed. How could he ignore and embrace his own pain like that?

"To take his strength," I added, flipping him harshly farther away. "And use it against him," I snarled. Dragging him to his feet, I leaped into the air and battered him in the face with several, furious, painful, midair kicks. Still in the air, I grabbed him and swung him far off. "Until he finally falls," I excepted, sliding him closer and leaping on his back, twisting his nose upwards. "Or quits," I hinted.

"But a real warrior never quits," he protested, before assuring me, "Don't worry Master, I will never quit!" Silently snarling with fury at his impertinence, I flipped the panda out from under my feet. Leaning all my strength on my right leg, I flung him high into the air by his nose. Leaping up to meet him, I gave him a tremendous kick with the same leg. He yelped in pain and surprise as my blow sent him through the doors to the Jade Palace, and down the mountain steps.

Limping off to hide in the undergrowth near their bedrooms, I decide to stay there for a while. Surely, they would absolutely hate the panda now. Before dinner, Tigress usually trained before coming to join the others to rest for the night. I waited as the others neared, and after a very long time, they eventually came, helping the panda!

Scenting their emotions, I knew Tigress was not here yet. Viper was sympathetic, Mantis amused, Monkey resigned, and Crane somewhat sympathetic. They seemed to have been more drawn to him because of how I'd beaten him up.

"Ow!" he was wincing. "I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel better," he protested.

Jumping to the roof to listen, I grinned. Mantis had actually studied this technique, and because of his size, he was pretty good.

"Trust me, it will. It's just not easy finding the right pressure points under all this…" he started, searching for the word, or most likely refraining from saying one.

"Fat?" the panda snorted.

"Fur. I was going to say fur," Mantis defiantly corrected him.

"Sure you were," he skeptically muttered.

"Who am I to judge a warrior based on his size? Look at me…I'm over here," Mantis sighed, sticking him with another acupuncture needle.

"Ow!" he squealed. What a baby.

"Maybe you should take a look at this again," Viper chided Mantis. Chuckling, I guessed she probable had drawn a map of him.

"Oh, okay," Mantis said.

"Stop! Stop! Yow!" the panda yelped, disturbing Monkey ad Crane. "I know Master Shifu is trying to inspire me and all, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to get rid of me," he nervously laughed. He was actually pretty. Smart sometimes. H knew I was trying to get rid of him, but he was sensing the others' reactions to see if they had been trying too.

"I know he can seem kind of heartless, but you know, he wasn't always like that," Mantis started.

"According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile," Viper finished, and I flinched. I never knew they really disliked me so much. Tai Lung had hardened me to train them so they wouldn't be anything like him. I realized though, that even being strict as I could be, it had some consequences. I was trying to help them, though. Couldn't they see that? Tigress's paw steps began to head down the hall and I relaxed. She would hopefully break this up.

"No!" the panda exclaimed unbelievingly. How would I get rid of him now if he knew about Tai Lung?

"Yes," Viper confirmed. Pausing a moment, she added with a little sigh, "But that was before." She lowered her voice and I could feel the panda's curiosity. Frequently, I wished Tigress would interrupt them so that he wouldn't sympathize with Tai Lung and I, and be even more determined not to leave. Yawning, I waited.

"Before what?" he curiously whispered to them. Well…that was expected.

"Before Tai Lung," Tigress answered, slamming the doors open to everyone's shock. Surely she wouldn't tell the panda! She still hated him, I could tell. There was also some other emotion there…sadness. Why?

"Oh yeah. We're not really supposed to talk about him," Crane put in. I'd never told Monkey, Crane, Viper, or Mantis so much about Tai Lung. Tigress was clever enough to ask Oogway after I hadn't told her more about my student. I'd never told them more because Tai Lung bought me such mixed feelings. I could never explain to them how much I loved him, was proud of him, wanted him…yet I was ashamed of him, sympathized with part of what he did, and couldn't understand his actions.

"Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know," Tigress calmly replied. I sighed and resigned myself to waiting and listening. The others were very curious and Tigress seemed to have an alternative reason for telling the panda rather than satisfying his inquisitiveness.

"Guys, guys, I know about Tai Lung. He was a student, the first ever to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu, and then he turned bad, and now he's in jail…" he trailed off as Tigress padded towards him, icy cold and furious. Crane and Monkey crept to the door to make sure she didn't kill him, and because they wanted to hear the story too.

"He wasn't just a student. Shifu found him as a cub and he raised him as a son," she began. As her melodious voice continued, I founded myself unconsciously bringing up memories. I remembered finding him as a cub, and bringing him inside. The soft kid had turned into a bundle of mischief, but I always could bring myself to forgive him.

"And when the boy showed talent in Kung Fu, Shifu trained him. He believed him. He told him he was destined for greatness," Tigress continued sadly. Recalling other memories, I thought of when he defeated the dummy perfectly on the first time, training with the always eager to please cub, but never realizing I was making it his obsession.

"It was never enough for Tai Lung, Tigress mewed, voice shaking. "He wanted the Dragon Scroll, but Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley," she continued, voice hardening with anger. I flinched as I realized that she hated Tai Lung so openly without having met him because of the pain he'd brought me. Though the others seemed to dislike me, she had always continued to love me…as Tai Lung had. It seemed the more I tried to keep her from becoming him, she grew more like him. My daughter was becoming my son.

"He tried to take the Dragon Scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he created," she mewed, trying mot to cry with sadness and fury. So long ago, but so clear, I remembered trying to stop him from ruining his life. I'd had a bad cold, so been unable to scent or hear as well, making me unable to fight. I had never guessed I'd need to. Leaping at his snarl, I never expected him to fight back.

"But how could he?" Tigress asked to nobody I particular, seeming sympathetic. Tai Lung broke my leg as I hesitated from hurting him. He'd hurt me too, in a way that would never recover. What he could never fix now, was how he'd broken my heart.

"Shifu loved Tai Lung like he had never loved anyone before," Tigress mewed in a voice shaking with a sorrow that pierced me like claws. "Or since," she whimpered. I wanted to tell her about Ming Yue, though none of them ever knew of her. I loved Tigress as much as I would a daughter, but I doubted I could ever convince her of that. Since she was a young cub, I always considered her almost perfect moves with sadness and anger. I wanted her to be so much unlike my son, that I drove her into seeking refuge in anger. I never told her of my love for her and all these years, she thought I didn't like her. Still, she had thought of me as a father for so long.

"And now, he has a chance to make things right," she snarled and I flinched. Even she thought Tai Lung's actions were my entire fault. "To train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you, a big fat panda who treats it like a joke," she spat angrily. So that's what she'd been up to…

"Doi!" he yelped and I growled.

"Okay, that's it!" she screeched, ready to deal him a blow for his impertinence. How dare he joke about this?

"Wait! Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his facial nerves," Mantis explained and I almost laughed. The panda fell over and I heard the rattle of many acupuncture needles. "And may have also stopped his hart," he nervously added. Well, I could tell he didn't. I needed to empty my mind of that stupid panda and Tai Lung's journey here.

Leaving, I limped to an unoccupied room to meditate. Sitting slowly amongst a circle of candles I'd lit, I rested on the hard wooden platform. I just needed some time to think right now.

"Inner peace, inner peace," I sighed, emptying my mind slowly and difficulty. Flapflapflap. Twitching my ears automatically, I decided to ignore the sound and try again. "Inner…in-in-in-inner peace," I sighed, partially turning as the flapflapflap noise grew louder. Flicking my ears, I begged them to stop flicking, and flattened them. Turning, I yelled, "Would whoever is making that flapping sound quiet down?" Trying to ignore it, I flicked my ears a couple times until it stopped. "Inn-err," I loudly tried, distracted and exasperated.

"Honk!" a feathery duck slammed into the ground. Rolling my eyes, I swung around and to my feet. This had better be important.

"Oh, Zeng," I said, recognized his voice, "Excellent, I could use some good mews right now."

"Uh…ah…" he began.

"Did Commander Vouchir give you a hard time?" I asked with an inward smirk. H e was so pompous and fun to annoy. Tai Lung was secure there and the rhino was proud of it.

"Well, you know how I'm m-malting," he began and I arched an eyebrow.

"What is it Zeng?" I sighed.

"You know that shell on his back…h-he used one of my feathers and escaped," he murmured. Escaped! No, that was impossible!

"He escaped!" I roared. Oogway's vision had come true after all, including his advise that I had caused Tai Lung's escape now in trying to avoid it.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," he stammered.

"It's not your fault," I growled, angry at myself and pushing my ears flat against my head.

"He escaped the night you sent me," he helpfully offered.

"He'll be here any moment then," I murmured, shaking a little. That panda would never be able to stop him from destroying the village again!

No…I think he is still a little weak and will try to train. Also, I sent notes to some of the villages in-between. When he arrives, it will probably be at least a week before he arrives," he told me at my worried expression.

"Thank you," I sighed. "Tell me, Zeng, did anyone die in his attacks?" I murmured.

"No, sir. Everyone was accounted for, though Commander Vouchir was furious," he replied in a confused tone, but decided not to press the matter.

"Tai Lung has made many wrong mistakes in his life, but a long time ago, I made him promise not to kill anyone. So far, he's kept to his word," I muttered, addressing nobody in particular.

"I'm not sure if it was his intent not to kill when he escaped," Zeng contrasted ruefully, "He certainly didn't go easy on them."

"I suppose," I sighed, lost in thought. Tai Lung would be here eventually and I wondered if I must try to stop him. How could I do that though? I couldn't manage it the first time.

"H-he also had a message for you. I don't know much about Tai Lung, but I assume his words mean more for you than me," he said. Despite his nervousness and stutter, he was rather observant and I wondered what Tai Lung could possibly want to say to me.

"What?" I asked.

"The true Dragon Warrior is coming home," he shivered. "Isn't that panda the Dragon Warrior?" he hesitantly asked.

"What do you know about Tai Lung?" I sighed.

"Only that he has immense power to be kept in a prison like that and that once, he nearly destroyed the village," he replied.

"It was because he wanted the Dragon Scroll and Oogway wouldn't let him have it," I told him. The villagers were so ashamed of my son that they hardly ever talked of him. "I must find Oogway," I said abruptly, hurrying away before the curious duck could ask more about it.

Following the tortoise's scent trail, my fear of Tai Lung's revenge grew and I ran! Panting, I climbed the stone steps to the top of one of the mountains that held the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom.

"Master! Master! I have…it's very bad news," I exhaustedly exclaimed, flattening my ears. With the coming of my student, I felt well beyond my age.

"Ah, Shifu. There is just news. There is no good of bad," he chuckled, completely unaware of the situation. Annoyed, I glared at him. This was no chuckling matter!

"Master, your vision. Your vision was right. Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way!" I yelled. My master had to realize the danger of this. Instead of getting scared or worried, he paused and calmly stood where he was.

"That is bad news," he affirmed before adding, "If you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior can stop him." So could he! He didn't have to use the fat panda to cover his mistake in not choosing Tigress!

"The panda? Master, that panda is not the Dragon Warrior! He wasn't even meant to be here…it was an accident," I protested desperately. How could he just dismiss this as if it were nothing?

"There are no accidents," he, as usual, calmly reprimanded me with one of his ancient sayings.

"Yes, I know," I sighed unhappily, ears drooping, "You've said that already. Twice."

"Well, that was no accident either," he chuckled and I became thoroughly depressed by his words of wisdom.

"Thrice," dejectedly corrected myself, holding up three fingers before dropping my arm and shaking my head sadly.

"My old friend, the panda will never fulfill his destiny, nor you yours, until you let go of the illusion of control," he said softly. How was it an illusion? I was that tubby panda's master!

"Illusion?" I asked with confusion.

"Yes, look at this tree Shifu," he said and I refrained from answering that. I couldn't. I got the point. "I cannot make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before its time," he explained. Growing frustrated of his metaphors, I decided to play alone.

"Bit there are some things we can control," I added, slamming my foot harshly into the tree. "I can control when the fruit will fall," I growled before letting out a sudden, "Mph!" in surprise as one of the dropping peaches hit me on the head. I glared and flattened my ears in annoyance and embarrassment as Oogway laughed. "And I can control," I continued throwing a peach into the air and leaping to split it, "Where to plant the seed." Hitting the ground with a, "Hiya!" I forced a deep pit in the ground and caught the seed. "That is no illusion Master!" I exclaimed angrily, throwing the seed in the hole and pacing wearily. I flattened my ears as he approached. He was going to try to contradict me somehow.

"Ah, yes, but no matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach," he replied. In a way, I knew what he was trying to say. I could do things, but I couldn't change destiny. Tired of the metaphor though, I turned to him.

"But a peach cannot defeat Tai Lung!" I protested. I needed his help, not more confusing words.

"Maybe, it can. If you are willing to guide it, to nurture it, to believe in it," he told me softly, covering the seed with dirt. Sadly, I remembered that I'd believed in Tai Lung, but he had let me down. How would it be possible not to fail with this panda?

"But how? How? I need your help Master," I pleaded. H seemed to know destiny's way and would not show me. I understood, but I still needed help do deal with this problem.

"No, you just need to believe. Promise me Shifu, promise me you will believe," he softly asked, coming slightly closer. I couldn't believe…and I couldn't promise that, but I also trusted my master and knew he would not ask me unless it was important.

Pausing, I gave a little stutter before answering, "I-I will…try." I very rarely lied and he knew I would keep to my word.

"Mmmm, good," he sighed, withdrawing. "My time has come. You must continue your journey without me," he said, placing his staff in my hands. Momentarily confused, I realized he was leaving. No! How could that be? Why would my old master and best friend not tell me something like this? A little part in the back of my head answered me. He didn't want me to suffer the pain of knowledge.

"What-what-what-what are you…?" I stuttered. Now? "Wait, Master! You can't leave me!" I protested. He was plodding away from me and I felt my heart break yet again. He had been with me so long and I never expected this pain of loss, especially now. He couldn't just walk away form all of his life, and me. My master…

Plodding away, he ignored me and I wished for him to say something. Hopefully, I waited as he began to speak. Would he choose to stay? "You must believe," he simply sighed and I felt a pang of anguish so great I wanted to follow him, away from this world of pain, betrayal, and loss.

"Master!" I cried one last time. A warm wind began to blow, cascading peach petals around me and I knew. He would not change his mind, not now. I could only stand in frozen

agony as he walked away. Then, his presence in the world simply vanished. He was just gone and that was all there was to it. Staring blankly off the mountain, I tightly gripped his staff, nearly oblivious to the now cold air around me.

Dismayed and hollow, I finally limped down the mountain to the kitchen. Despite any consequences, I had to keep my promise with Oogway. It was nearly dinnertime and I had to find the Furious Five and the panda. Somehow, I had to teach him to defeat Tai Lung. Otherwise, everything was for nothing. All would be lost forever.

Silently padding down the hallways, I sadly stayed behind the wall with the door in it. I decided I would enter with my devastating news at the right time. Stiffening, I realized I could smell soup. Had the panda made it?

"It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single ginkgo leaf and the energy of the universe," Tigress coldly and unhumorously accused him, and I listened as the others awkwardly sipped their soup.

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet," the panda said with slight amusement. "I'm going to need a lot more than dew, and uh, universe juice," he added, slurping up his soup. I could smell they all had noodles in them too. To my confusion, the Furious Five, except calm Tigress, began to giggle.

"What?" the panda asked. That was exactly what I wanted to know too.

"Nothing…Master Shifu," Mantis laughed and I nearly growled in annoyance. They obviously couldn't see me, otherwise they wouldn't act so humorous, so they were obviously making fun of me.

"You'll never be the Dragon Warrior unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth," the panda growled in a low voice, clacking his chopsticks as he slid out of his chair to stand on the ground. To my annoyance, the others began to laugh even harder. This is what I get for my troubles?

"What's that noise you're making? Laughter? I've never heard of it!" He growled in his low voice, acting surprised. I almost snarled, but again, refrained. That stupid panda…

"Work hard, panda, and maybe someday…you will have ears like mine," he gleefully announced, sliding a couple bowls across the table and causing hi audience to burst into hysterical laughter with the image he put on. Grim faced, I stepped into the doorway and waited. Though Tigress wasn't laughing, I could feel her silent snorts of barely concealed laughter.

"That's good," Mantis laughed. They all broke off into stone like silence as they all saw me. Apparently, the panda must have his back turned to me.

"Ears," he elaborated, "It's not working for you? I thought they were pretty good."

"It's Shifu," Monkey warned him in a low voice. Yeah, like I couldn't hear that?

"Of course it's Shifu. What do you think I'm doing?" he laughed, assuming Monkey had been joking. They must have been gesturing discreetly at me, as he decided to turn around now. "Oh, Master Shifu!" h e yelped, sticking the bowls to his fur. "Ah!" he gasped. As I turned to him, he slurped a noodle into his mouth. Was he still imitating me? Seething, I stiffened as the others burst into laughter again, unable to contain themselves.

Furious, I burst into angry yelling, "You think this is funny? Tai Lung has escaped from prison and you're acting like children!" This wasn't really the way I expected to tell them, but he was so annoying.

"What?" the panda gasped as my words sunk in.

"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll and you are the only one who can stop him," I continued. Pausing, he stood in shock, and the bowls clattered to the floor, breaking the silence.

"Hahaha. And here I am saying you got ns sense of humor," he chuckled. He thought it was a joke? I glared at him until his laughter faded away. "I'm gonna…stop Tai Lung? What? You're serious? And I have to…uh…nuh…M-Master Oogway will stop him. He did it once. He'll do it again!" he stammered hopefully.

"Oogway cannot!" I snapped, before drooping my ears and fingering his staff, "Not anymore."

"Huh?" the Furious Five simultaneously gasped in dismay and bewilderment.

"Our only hope is the Dragon Warrior," I quietly admitted.

"The panda?" Tigress hissed in disbelief.

"Yes, the panda!" I snapped back. Who the heck did she think I meant? Anyway, I didn't like this situation any more than she did.

"Master, please! Let us stop Tai Lung! This is what you've trained us for," she protested angrily.

"No! It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung! It is his!" I snarled, pointing with the staff. That was when I realized he wasn't there. "Where'd he go?" I asked in confusion.

"He…sort of ran away," Viper nervously giggled. Crossly, I hurriedly limped down the hallway. Only Tigress followed.

"Master, he can't defeat Tai Lung. You know that," she sighed and I glared at her.

"Whether he can or not doesn't matter. I promised Oogway," I simply said. She understood, but growled angrily.

"But if he can't, who will?" she meowed sharply, and I didn't answer. If he couldn't, it would be up to me. Tigress sensed my pause and thoughts, and stopped, icy fear coming off of her in waves. "N-n-no, you can't! This time, he might kill you!" she protested.

"Tigress, at this point, which do you think would be easier for me?" I asked sadly. Her hurt and anger overwhelmed me until I realized what it implied.

"Don't we mean anything to you?" she whimpered.

"It is for you that I'm doing this," I growled coldly. Leaving her standing behind, I left to find the panda. I didn't know where she went, but I knew I'd hurt her.

The panda was screaming and lumbering away, down the steps. Jumping off a boulder, I launched myself down to land with a booming noise right in front of him. I put a hand out to stop him as he yelped and skidded to a halt.

"You cannot leave! A true warrior never quits!" I growled, throwing his own words back at him.

"Watch me!" he snapped, feigning different directions before racing to my right. Swinging Oogway's staff around, I swung him back in front. "Come on, how am I supposed to beat Tai Lung? I can't even beat you to the stairs!" he protested.

"You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior," I insisted, prodding him with the staff.

"Ow! You don't believe that! Oh!" he yelped as I shoved his accusing finger away. "You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!" he shouted, advancing.

"Yes, I was," I admitted, tripping him and advancing closer. "But now I ask you to trust in your master as I have come to trust in mine," I growled.

"You're not my master," he said; voice hardening and suddenly icy calm, "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior!" Slapping the tip of the staff way, he sat up.

"Then, why didn't you quit? You knew I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed," I accused.

"Yeah, I stayed. I stayed because every time you threw a brick at my head, or said I smelled, it hurt! But it could never hurt more than every day of my life just being me. I stayed because I thought if anyone could change me, could make me not me, it was you…the greatest Kung Fu teacher in all of China!" he admitted, standing up again. I knew how he felt being different. It was like when I was growing up so long ago. I couldn't let all of them down.

"But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior, and I will!" I protested.

"Come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now. And even if it take him a hundred years to get here, how are you going to change this into the Dragon Warrior? Huh?" he demanded. I-I had no idea. Tai Lung was likely to be here very soon and he was the closest ever to being the Dragon Warrior. "How?" he asked and I turned up at him. "How?" he asked again. I couldn't answer. "How?" he sharply snapped.

"I don't know!" I yelled, breathing hard in anger and confusion. Closing my eyes momentarily, I sighed. "I don't know," I replied in a more defeated tome.

"That's what I thought," he muttered. Turning, I walked past him to rest. No longer caring what happened, I simply went to my room to rest.

I welcomed the sleep…sinking into calm infinity, escaping the world and its troubles I was caught in.


	10. Choice

When I woke up, I felt as restless as before, and in a routine, made my way down to where the Furious Five slept. The panda's trail out of the room was long gone and I felt a slight dread inside. What would I be able to do against Tai Lung with Oogway gone, the panda disappeared, and my students longing to fight the snow leopard? The gong rang, but to my surprise, nobody answered. Listening carefully, I realized they were all gone. But why?

Ungh! They had gone to fight my student…of course. Scenting parchment, I quickly went into Tigress's room and picked up a note. Reading it with the tips of my fingers, I flattened my ears with annoyance.

'Master,

As you must know by now, we have left. We will defeat Tai Lung and we promise we'll be back.

From (obviously) Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Crane, and Monkey.

P. S. Please do not kill us if Tai Lung doesn't!

P. S. S. You never ordered us not to find and fight him.

P. S. S. S. Technically

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and began to worriedly head to the Peach Tree. If my students fought, they would almost surely die. Though I wasn't usually very optimistic, I hoped that they would survive this. The cool morning air ruffled my fur and I wondered if the panda had been here, he could have made a difference, if not as a warrior, a mildly disturbing distraction.

"Hiya!" a voice yelled, interrupting my gloomy thoughts, and I lifted my ears hopefully at the panda's voice, accompanied by crunching and cracking sounds, was coming from somewhere inside the palace. Walking slowly through the palace's corridors, I paused by the continuing noises, now directed from the pantry. "Hiya! Aha!" the panda shouted, smashing through a cupboard to pull out some food, munching greedily. He paused as he spotted me. Confused, I angled my head at the creaking of a cupboard door near the ceiling, food rattling from a hanging basket, and another cupboard door on the wall above the panda. How did he reach those places? I turned to him as he suddenly belched. "What? I eat when I'm upset, okay?" he defensively responded to my incredulous expression.

"Oh, no need to explain. I thought you might be Monkey; he hides his almond cookies on the top shelf," I said, swiftly improvising. I decided, at least for now, not to tell him where the Furious Five had gone. The best way I could help them was to train him, and that wouldn't work if he was racing away from the thought of me not even believing the Furious Five could defeat my student. Slowly padding away, I hid behind the door. I'd already figured out that he had a lousy sense of smell unless it was associated with food. Several rattles and crashes ensued as I was hidden, and I quickly ran around the corner. To my astonishment, he was up in a corner by the top shelf. I remembered climbing up there with Ming Yue to raid the food supply for a party among students, and for his immense size, he could only be doing a split to balance.

"Don't tell Monkey," he pleaded after noticing me.

"Look at you," I breathed in amazement. Food really influenced his mind that much?

"Yeah, I know, I disgust you," he muttered continuing to devour the cookies.

"No, I mean…how did you get up there?" I elaborated. He had some of the potential skills and qualities to be the Dragon Warrior, I realized. I just needed to let them grow.

"No, this? This is just an accident," he yelped, voice shaking as the boards beneath him finally broke beneath his mass. "Aow!" he gasped in pain as he collapsed to the floor, dropping his cookie, which rolled to my feet.

"There are no accidents," I replied, quoting Oogway. "Come with me," I added, picking up the cookie and beckoning him with it. I knew just the place to get his confidence and skills higher…no pun intended.

Groaning, he pulled himself up and struggled after me as I led the way. Taking many different things, I packed them into a backpack and handed it to him. Limping slightly, I headed up the mountain if front, as he struggled to heave the pack up the trail. It took a while before we reached the top, and I tried to ignore him and enjoy the nature for a while. Eventually, we did reach the top, and he was panting something fierce.

"I know you're trying to be all mystical and kung-fuey, but could you at least tell me where we're going?" he gasped with exhaustion. Still ignoring him, I went over to sit and meditate on a rock. Pulling off the backpack, the panda collapsed in the grass by the stretch of water in front of me. "You dragged me all the way out here for a bath?" he protested indignantly. I sighed and came out of my meditation as the water splashed.

"Panda, we do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears," I growled. I decide to ignore the fact that my sister, friends, and I once swam in it. After all, we had been kids.

"The Pool of Sacred Tears?" he stammered in surprise, guiltiness, and awe.

Sliding stiffly off the rock, I informed him, "This is where Oogway unraveled the mysteries of harmony and focus. This is the birthplace of Kung Fu."

Oogway told me long ago about the legendary Yin Yang symbol, spreading harmony, peace, and unity in its image. He painted one once and let me feel its image. It was a sign of equilibrium.

Leaping high suddenly, I kicked into the air, flipping unto what would be considered the dot of the symbol, and stood proudly, high above the ground. I remembered Oogway something like that once, and had marveled at his control and speed, unnatural for a tortoise. But then again, he wasn't any ordinary tortoise. Feeling strengthened and unified with the origin and originator of the martial art, I spoke in a loud voice. "Do you want to learn Kung Fu?" I asked.

"Yeah!" he quietly gasped at the awe-inspiring image I created before him.

"Then I am your master," I announced.

"Okay," he agreed, sniffling with happiness.

"Don't cry," I ordered softly, but curtly, raising an eyebrow at his…interesting reaction.

"Okay," he stammered, giving one last quick sniffle. Beckoning him to a field of grass after I leapt down, I let him practice his 'moves' while I took a few things from the backpack and hid them behind me.

Hopping up onto a rock, I addressed him, "When you focus on Kung Fu, when you concentrate, you stink." He seemed putout by my comment, but I continued. "But perhaps that is my fault. I cannot train you the way I have trained the 'five. I now see the way to get through to you is with this," I said, showing him the bowl of cold, but reasonably good dumplings. Because of Oogway, I was a surprisingly good cook.

"Oh, great, 'cause I'm hungry," he sighed with relief, shuffling closer. Did he really think it was that easy? Another problem was that he was both too trusting and gullible or that he truly underestimated everything.

"Hmhmhm. Good. When you have been trained, you may eat," I told him, turning away and popping on into my mouth. "Let's begin," I mumbled slightly with my mouth full. Dropping sown into the grass, I led him to begin our intense training.

Three nights passed and we worked hard. I trained him with many different activities, involving food for each. As we progressed, he became smarter, quicker, stronger, and dare I say agile? I remembered several techniques because they failed so amusingly though. To increase his balance and strength, I made him to sit-ups on a tree above a chasm that was really only a dozen feet off the ground. I stood on the edge of the branch, making him pull up harder to smell the bowl of dumplings.

"Whoa!" he yelped in surprise as the branch cracked slightly and I flipped to land on a mountainous rock in the chasm. Letting go of the bowl, I heard the panda catch it triumphantly with surprisingly fast reflexes. His victory was short-lived' however, for he yelled and fell to the ground as the branch cracked the rest of the way. With Oogway's staff, I caught the bowl and the dumplings fell one by one to and in it.

After enticing him up with a bowl of salad once I ate the dumplings, I handed him the bowl and a pair of chopsticks. He threw them away and I grinned before rushing to get a bamboo pole, and attacked him with it. He yelped in pain as I hit him several times before smashing the bowl so the salad fell to the dirt.

Later into the afternoon, I took a dumpling and began to bounce it back and forth on my legs, feet, arms, and even my head, in a keep away game as he clumsily lunged for it.

Near nighttime, he did pushups over a pile of coals, stretching his tongue to try and eat another bowl of food on the ground. The fat panda never did get a single lick. And that was only the first day! It was tiring to think up and do all these activities, but I was having a little fun and he was progressing.

The second night, he finally got so hungry that he tried to steal some soup from a pot that I had cooked and was purposely leaving out there unguarded. Streaking behind him, I hit him with a pole, but he managed to block well. Eventually, I smacked his unguarded stomach when he filled the bowl. Jumping to stand on top of the pole, I caught the soup and sipped it.

He kicked the pole angrily, but I jumped over the flipping stick so that it hit him hard in the head. Landing back on top, I glanced mockingly down at him.

The third morning, we practiced on top of cliffs for balance, later did one-finger pushups, and battled with poles. He learned surprisingly quickly in the three days I taught him, much more than Tigress had in two months, although, she had been young. I began to feel confident that with the Dragon Scroll, it was a possibility that he would defeat Tai Lung after all.

The next day, I decided to test him one last time before we left for the Jade Palace. He waited as I made nearly a dozen dumplings, set them in a bowl, and placed them, two pairs of chopsticks, and two extra bowls on a conveniently table-shaped rock. I sat down and motioned to him.

"After you panda," I said, smiling.

"Just like that? No sit-ups? No-no-no-no-no ten mile hike?" he stammered with obvious disbelief.

"I vowed to train you and you have been trained. You are free to eat," I replied, gesturing once more. He didn't seem fooled and sat down suspiciously before picking up his chopsticks and pausing.

"Enjoy," I added, smiling again.

Happily, he put a dumpling to his mouth with his eyes closed. He was so gullible… Grinning, I flashed past his face, whisked the dumpling away, and consumed it. Soon he'd get the point of this.

"Hey," he protested, but seemed somewhat confused to see me sitting in my seat.

"I said, 'you are free to eat.' Have a dumpling," I offered, trying not to burst into laughter at his complete bewilderment.

Clicking his chopsticks nervously, he took another. Now, I would make it more obvious. Flipping onto my left arm, I swung and kicked the dumpling out of his grasp. Landing quickly, I snatched it and ate it.

"Hey," he yelped again, indignantly this time.

"You are free to eat," I growled meaningfully. This time he got it.

"Am I?" he challenged me.

"Are you?" I growled back. Flipping my chopsticks around and around in one swift motion, I snapped them to a halt and grinned with my ears flat. He was slightly intimidated by that, but the smart thing to do had never stopped him before.

"Hweeaaah," he lamely countered, clacking his twice. He seemed to know this would get him nowhere with me, so he slammed the bowl with his fist, sending the dumplings into the air. I ate ten of them mid-jump so fast that I was sorry not to have savored them.

Lunging at the last one, he fell heavily as I bounced up and grabbed it too. Just as I was about to eat it, he sprang up and flicked it away so that it landed in one of the extra bowls. I laughed slightly with amusement as we battled for it with our chopsticks. Several times, I began to swirl the bowl to protect the dumpling before completely turning it over. Smirking, I overturned all of them and began to swap their places with each other, over and over.

"Whoo!" he yelled excitedly as he found the correct one. Fighting for control over it, I sharply jabbed his fingers extracting a series of yelps from him. Annoyed, he tried to knock my chopsticks out of the way, but I twirled them around multiple times, and snapped them against his hand, causing him to retreat. Using his other hand, he struck the bow so the dumpling went into the air and the bowl, off to the side.

"Hiya!" I growled, throwing a chopstick to nail it to a tree. Using my small size to my advantage, I easily launched off his back and gave a small grunt of effort as I jumped for the tree branch. Thinking quickly, he grabbed my leg with his chopsticks and forced me to the ground. I gave a grunt of pain, as it was my bad leg, but I changed position and flipped him anyway. He did it back to me, but I dived under his legs with his arm, letting go so I was behind him, and he was knocked flat on his back. The dumpling began to fall and I gave a growl of annoyance as he flung me away by my tail and leaned for the dumpling with his mouth open.

Shutting his mouth with my remaining chopstick, I jumped as he knocked my arm up and tried to sweep my feet. With slight amusement, I kicked it away. Now, I had the advantage of speed. Racing pat him, I dropped my chopsticks and grabbed a pole I had left behind one of the large boulders earlier.

Fighting with the pole was easier, but we managed to always block each other. His moves were excellent. Striking at his leg, I was astonished when he calculated the moment perfectly and stepped on it, leaped over my head, bounced the dumpling triumphantly off his stomach, and triumphantly landed to catch it. He had won!

Pleased with his progress, I gestured to him to show that I would allow him to eat his prize. To my surprise, he threw it back into my hand.

"I'm not hungry," the panda said proudly. Grinning, I threw it off to the side. "Master," he added, putting his fist to his palm and bowing in respect. Surprising him, I returned it.

"Let's go home," I told him smiling. Packing up, we silently walked back. As we went through the gates, I decided to break the silence.

"You have done well panda," I congratulated him.

Both amused and indignant, he exclaimed, "Done well? Done well? I've done awesome!" Excitedly, he swung his belly at me.

"Ooof!" I yelped, caught off guard. Trying to regain my composure and dignity, I replied, "The mark of a true hero is humility." Oh, what the heck? "But yes, you have done-" I continued before slamming a fist into his side, "Awesome." Laughing a little at each other with good-natured humor, I suddenly paused and we both turned.

"Huh?" he yelped in surprise and dismay, and I felt the motions catching on as I scented the Furious Five. To my shock, Crane collapsed, panting, to the ground, with the others stiffly tumbling with him. They had caught up with Tai Lung, but he hadn't killed them. Why? Feeling both panicked and relieved, I stood still with shock. "Guys? Guys? They're dead! No, they're breathing. They're asleep? But their eyes are open," the panda exclaimed in confusion as he walked around them.

Stiff with dread, I limped past Crane. "We were no match for his nerve attack," he exhaustedly explained. Leaning don to Mantis, I quickly stroked his nerves with my fingertips in a scratching motion.

"He has gotten stronger," I half murmured to myself in sickening horror.

"Who? Tai Lung? Stronger!" the panda yelped, panic creeping into his voice.

Releasing Monkey's frozen nerves with quick jabs, I heard him accidentally punch the unfortunate panda in the face.

"He's too fast!" Monkey cried in shock before speaking to the panda, "Sorry Po." That was his name? I hadn't ever called him by his name because I never actually knew it. Weird how things just seemed to turn out…

Moving on to Tigress, I swiftly tweaked her nerves.

Gasping in pain, she groaned sadly, "I thought we could stop him." Her movements told me one of her left ribs was broken. I couldn't help her right now though.

"He could have killed you," I sternly burst out instead, but was very much relieved that they all were still alive.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis moaned.

"So you could come back here and strike fear into our hearts, but it won't work," I snapped, twisting and leaping along Vipers spine and the frozen nerves inside. She let out a small sigh of relief, as she was able to relax again.

"Ha…are you kidding? I-th-they can't! They're five masters! I'm just one me," he protested and I knew it was time.

"But you will have the one thing no one else does," I contradicted.

Leading them all to the Moon Pool, I hoped that Tai Lung's defeat would no be too cruel.

"You really think I'm ready?" the panda asked nervously.

"You are…Po," I assured, finally using his name, though I had never known it.

Knowing a self-portrait of Oogway hung over some of his candles, I turned to it for support, but as expected he was as silent as a paining could be. Taking his staff, I hoped that this was not a mistake. Walking to the Moon Pool, I stopped momentarily.

Recalling how he had taught me how to bring the Dragon Scroll down, I used one palm to spin the staff before stopping sharply and exhaling loudly. Using my palm and the staff, I created a current o wind. Swinging the staff to the left, I turned, twirling and flipping in the same direction along the side of the water. Waving the staff lightly, I coaxed the peach petals from the water, upwards to the ceiling.

Ping! The echo bounced to my ears as a petal landed on the Dragon Scroll container. Listening carefully, I leaned to catch it with the end of Oogway's staff.

"Hua!" I exclaimed as I leaned on my right foot to catch the scroll in the split end of the staff. Another light ping sounded as it ever so lightly touched the water, and I flicked my ears forward.

"Behold he Dragon Scroll. It is yours," I told Po, presenting it to him.

"Wait. What happens if I read it?" he nervously asked.

"No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat," I replied with awe. Even I couldn't do that.

"Whoa, really?" he gasped.

"Yes, and see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you," I added.

"Ha, ha, wow! Can I punch through walls? Can I- can I do a quadruple back flip?" he excitedly asked, punching the air enthusiastically.

"Focus," I growled.

"Will I have invisibil-?" he continued.

"Focus," I said again, "Focus."

"Oh, yeah, right," he paused.

"Read it Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become the Dragon Warrior," I proudly commanded him.

"Whoa!" he gasped and took it carefully, tugging at the container. "It's impossible to open. Come on baby, come on now," he panted, struggling with it, and even trying to use his teeth to open it once.

I slowly reached out a hand and he sulkily handed it to me. Popping the top off a lot quicker, I handed it back to him.

"Thank you. I probably loosened it up for you though. Okay, here it goes," he said slowly, opening the scroll.

Listening intently, I wondered what would happen and how Oogway put so much power in a scroll.

"Aaaaieeeaaahhh!" he screamed, making me flinch and pin back my ears. The Furious Five gasped and I waited, heart pounding, for whatever was to come next.

"It's blank," the panda told me.

"What?" I yelped. Impossible! I stared at him in confusion. The legendary scroll couldn't be blank!

"Here, look," he offered.

"No, I am forbidden to look upon-" I began before thinking, well; I couldn't see it anyway, technically speaking. Taking the scroll, I tilted my head in confusion as I opened and closed it over and over, but scented no ink or any change whatsoever. How could this be? "Blank. I don't…I don't understand," I muttered. How could Oogway do this to me? He must have known right from the start. This meant Tai Lung's rage and betrayal was for nothing, the villagers would surely die for it, and Oogway had just let it happen.

"Okay, so…like, Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all," Po exclaimed with dismay.

"No, Oogway was wiser than us all," I muttered, trying to push my doubt away. He had developed the art of Kung Fu, was my master, full of wisdom, and yet he had allowed

this to happen. Even more, he made sure it would happen. Why? Was he losing his mind in his old age?

"Oh, come on! Face it, he picked me by accident! Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" he sighed, dejectedly sitting down on the floor.

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress murmured to him, trying to get him to change hi mind.

"He'll destroy everything and everyone," Crane sighed.

No. I couldn't let everyone suffer for my mistake. I thought my punishment for creating one such as Tai Lung was that the villagers would kill him. Now I knew it was that he was allowed to live. "No!" I growled, handing the scroll to Po and facing my students. "Evacuate the valley! You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage," I ordered.

"What about you Master," Tigress quietly mewed and I knew she was silently begging me to change my mind. I always thought I would do anything for her, but this I could not.

"I will fight him," I replied firmly.

"What?" Po gasped in dismay. I flinched a little. He was big and dumb sometimes, but he always meant for the best and was a loyal, caring friend. I realized Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior because he had a pure heart, never ruled by the faults in most.

"I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape," I explained, not adding that I would remain here forever.

"But Shifu, he'll kill you," the panda protested unhappily, and I could feel shame and guilt rolling off of him. And I would let Tai Lung kill me. It was the only way I could set things right.

Turning to face him, I calmly told him, "Then I will finally have paid for my mistake. With my death, perhaps Tai Lung would finally be satisfied. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master," I spoke, smilingly softly. Putting a fist to my palm as they did, I closed my eyes briefly.

Turning so they couldn't see my face, I waited and limped slowly to the edge of the Moon Pool. For once, I was glad that Ming Yue was not here to see this. She would insist on fighting too. The Furious Five sadly turned away, pulling Po with them. Go, I silently urged him, there is nothing you can do for me. Finally, they left, and I was alone by the pool, standing by the water, and lost in memories that I couldn't even see.


	11. Forever

Pacing to the mountain steps, I stood amongst the raging storm. The rain had not yet fallen, but crackling lightning and booming thunder was reigning through the skies and falling to earth. There I was, waiting for my son, Tai Lung, and when he arrived, the destiny that would occur.

Thinking back, I remembered Oogway describing his dream to me and I knew this was fate. If Tai Lung immediately saw the Dragon Scroll was gone, he would leave and attack the villagers before they had a chance to escape. I had to stay here otherwise all I had done to protect the lives of the innocent villagers would be forsaken.

Listening quietly, I heard the villagers' shouts of fear move steadily closer to the valley's entrance and exit. Also, I sensed my student quietly leap down from the roof of the Jade Palace, as he had come the back way. He arrived with a boom of thunder and I closed my eyes momentarily before turning up to face him. A long time ago, I had told him I was

blind. Now he had tried to arrive without my notice. However hard he might try to hide his approach, I would always know he was near.

"I have come home Master," he purred, but I could sense the savagery beneath it, and the calculating slyness of a hunter. I had always known there was something more to his soft tones as he grew older, but I had just never looked for it.

"This is no longer your home and I am no longer your master," I said, coldly denouncing him. If I could get him angry enough, he would focus on fighting me rather than the village. It hurt me to pretend this though, especially since I loved him; and it hurt even more when he believed it.

"Oh, yes. You have a new favorite. So where is this…Po? Hmhmhm, did I scare him off?" he meowed contemptuously.

"This battle is between you and me," I warned, trying to convince him not to attack the village. Strangely enough, he took it as a threat.

"So, that is how it is going to be?" Tai Lung asked, growling dangerously.

"That is how it must be!" I snapped. Shifting to a battle stance, I lifted my chin in defiance. Now was the time to fight, and there would be no going back.

Growling low, he roared suddenly and leaped into the air. Trying to pinpoint him, I flipped several times backwards, just in time, as he slammed a foot into the ground where I had previously been, shattering several steps. Taking a huge chunk of rock, he shot it at me.

"Ya!" I exclaimed, exploding the rock with blue ice at its center, and a quick hand chop to a brittle point. Surprised I could still do that, I paused and he kicked me painfully in the face, flipping me backwards through the wall and to the ground.

"Kiya!" I angrily growled, moving into a defensive position.

"I rotted in jail for twenty years because of your weakness!" he yowled, letting his furious temper out.

"Obeying your master is never weak," I threw back.

"You knew I was the Dragon Warrior! You always new," he accused and I remembered that day when Tai Lug was standing proudly, but Oogway shook his head 'no' to me. Feeling my student's devastation, I had no words of comfort for him, and had turned away. "But when Oogway said otherwise, what did you do? What did you do? Nothing!" he snarled.

"You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior. That was not my fault!" I yelled. Maybe there was hope for him to redeem himself again, and we could forget all this…

"Not your fault? Who filled my head with dreams?" he howled, advancing to kick Xiongmeng's armor at me.

"Ha!" I growled, jumping over.

""Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?" he continued angrily, throwing Ming Yue's shield at me. Straightening and standing back, I glared at him as it sliced through one of the pillars. He truly hated me… "Who denied me my destiny?" he screamed, hurling several weapons at me from its stand.

"Hiya! Ha! Ha!" I growled, knocking one up, blocking a second, and hitting a couple to the side. Snarling with frustration, he sent a knife arcing at me.

Catching the blunt edge and flat surface with the rough pads on my hands, I carefully swirled it around me and slammed it into the ground.

"It was never my decision to make," I snarled.

Panting with fury, he ran to Oogway's place of honor and paused. What was he doing? He wouldn't stoop so low as to ruin the memory of him, would he? Pausing nervously, I waited curiously.

"It is now," he challenged, taking up Oogway's staff. How dare he disrespect him so much as to ignore his decision once he was gone? Did he mean nothing to him…and did I?

"Hiya!" I shouted, leaping up to kick at him. He blocked my furious kicks twice before slamming his fist into my stomach, making me yelp. Twirling at each other, I was caught defenseless in the air. Slamming the furled end of the staff against my throat, he smashed me against the pole and then the ground.

"Oh," I groaned in pain as agony exploded through my head and the air whooshed out of my lungs.

"Give me the scroll," he hissed, leaning all his weight on the other end before I had time to breath. Tightening my hands on it, I shoved upwards. The pressure on my throat was terrible and I could barely breathe. I knew I couldn't allow myself to be forced to the ground or he would kill me and the villagers wouldn't have enough time to escape.

"I would rather die," I growled back at him, trying to get him angry enough to attack me, but he didn't fall for the ruse.

Struggling, I finally forced ice through the brittle core of the staff, and then pushing back hard enough that it snapped. Gasping for breath, I lay still in shame. I had broken my master's staff, even though it was to give me a chance to help the village. Peach petals brushed the air, and I wondered if Oogway was watching us…and what he thought of this fight. Was I right to fight Tai Lung? I already gave him enough reason to hate me.

"Hiya!" the snow leopard suddenly growled, slamming a fist into my head, flattening my ear painfully as I turned in his direction. Kicking me into the wall, he jumped off as I sent ice-cold air into his feet. Falling to land on the ground, I swung an arm back, and jumped to cling on one of the pillars. Growling, he leapt after, but I was much faster. Even bouncing on his head once, I always kept out of range. Pausing once to turn in his direction, I leapt to the ceiling in panic as he came much closer than I had expected.

Punching my stomach hard, he sent shooting pain through my body and I smashed through the ceiling, into the air. I knew I couldn't keep this up much longer, but maybe I could knock him out somehow. Then, he might listen to reason afterwards. Trying to catch my breath, I was hit twice before I could dodge another kick and swipe of shredding claws. Hit in the ribs, I winced, but swung his arm down and jumped onto his back.

"Ha!" I snarled, hitting his neck so he couldn't look up at me. Using my left foot to do it, I winced at the sudden stab of pain in my hip and leg, familiar from when he broke it so long ago, but painful nonetheless. Unfortunately, he noticed it and elbowed me harshly in the left shoulder. Agony flooded through me and I heard a slight noise inside it. Though my arm wasn't broken, I knew the injury was serious.

Crying out in pain, I let go and fell to his side as he dropped through the air. Twisting, he pinned a fist around my throat, and another around me, digging claws into various pressure points. Flinching, with flat ears, I was slammed through the ceiling. Using one arm to hold me, he punched me in the stomach again. As I hit a pillar, I yelped in pain and agony exploded through the back of my head. Dizziness clouded my mind and I cried out again as I fell nearly twenty feet to the ground. Through the confusion after hitting my head, I struggled to capture my fleeing thoughts.

Tai Lung broke a lantern of blue fire as he fell to the ground. I almost panicked as he summoned his power over fire as I had done over ice.

Flipping backwards, I quickly kicked his arm away. Blocking again, I jumped back as he advanced, and kicked his arm away again as I turned backwards and back to face him. Using my arms and ice from cooling the moisture in the air, I blocked him twice more and was surprised when he began to speak.

"What I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are Shifu! Tell me!" he shouted. Blocking four of his blows, I winced as he hit my stomach, and at the pain of his words. I was always proud of him…how could he not see that? Pain shot through my sore shoulder and my bad leg hurt more than usual. His fury both frightened and saddened me, and I decided it was time to stop pretending I was angry with him. His blows cut through my defenses easily, flimsy in my sadness and pain. Hitting me a couple more times, he punched me in the stomach again. Unable to defend myself in the pain or attack him in my sadness, I paused. "Tell me!" he screamed. Punching me painfully in the ribs, he sent me flying, and I was too stunned to even cry out. Flying backwards, singed and sore, I flipped painfully over and over before rolling to a stop at the stairs by the Moon Pool. My whole body ached, though more recent injuries worse. My influence over ice had partly protected me from the fire, but my arms were still singed and bruised. Coughing smoke from my lungs, I painfully tried to stand. Unable to even do that, I only lifted myself halfway, trembling.

"I-I have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming…what I was turning you into. I'm s-I'm sorry," I whispered, shaking with pain and exhaustion. He paused with surprise, but also with disbelief. Since I'd tricked him into thinking I was angry, he thought I was lying now. Please forgive me, I thought desperately anyway.

Growling, he lunged down and closed a paw around my throat, lifting me into the air. "I don't want your apology. I want my scroll. What? Where is it?" he screeched, finally realizing it was gone, and slamming me into the stairs.

Crying out in pain, I feebly tugged at his paws, choking beneath his hold. "Dragon Warrior has taken scroll halfway across China by now. Oh! You will never see that scroll Tai Lung!" I told him, jerking into aggression as he squeezed hard. Pain made me want to retch, but his hold was literally killing me. Already, my mind was going fuzzy and my muscles seized, and he seemed to tell, for he tightened his hold a little, but slid his claws out dangerously. "Never, never," I feebly wheezed. Then, I felt too much pain to continue.

"Hey!" I heard the panda. No, go away! He'll kill you to! "Stairs," he panted.

"Who are you?" Tai Lung contemptuously snarled and I gasped for breath as he stopped choking me, relieved as cool air filled my burning lungs. I could tell he knew I was still alive…and was relieved. He hadn't wanted to kill me, but his temper made me suffer. Hanging limply in his paw, unable to move from the lack of oxygen in my muscles causing them to cramp. Now, I realized my son, the second shadow of my dream, had betrayed me, enticed Oogway's death, and was killing me.

"Buddy, I am the Dragon Warrior," Po defiantly said, shifting into a stance, before giving it up and panting.

"You? Him? He's a panda," he told me, throwing me to the ground and turning back to Po. "You're a panda. What are you going to do? Sit on me?" he taunted with a slight chuckle. Though he seemed to be acting defiant and surprised, I had known him a very long time, and could tell he already had known and was making fun of him, but was nervous because Oogway had chosen him.

"Don't tempt me," he joked. "No, I'm going to use this," he announced, whipping out the Dragon Scroll. The idiot! Tai Lung would take it and in his rage at finding it empty, for he wouldn't understand the scroll as I didn't, and take out his rage on the villagers again. Though I loved him, I wouldn't ever accept him again if he killed the villagers.

"Finally!" the snow leopard triumphantly growled as he punched Po away. No! Struggling to get up, I whimpered slightly as pain flooded through me and I failed, stumbling a little ways before collapsing. I hurt so much, I longed for the simplicity of just dying, but I couldn't let my former student attack Po and kill him.

"Aagh!" he shouted as the panda bounced off a pillar and hit him back.

Po laughed, but it turned into a yelp as Tai Lung attacked him. "No! Wahahaha!" he laughed as they tumbled down the mountainside, fighting furiously the whole way.

Groaning, I felt darkness creep into my brain and I struggled against it. No! I couldn't die now! Tai Lung would destroy the villagers, Po, and the Furious Five, the only family I had. Helpless to defy the pain, I finally had to sink into unconsciousness. Suddenly thinking of Ming Yue, I thought that despite I was leaving my friends to a terrible fate, I would at least see her again. I'm ready.

I was almost certain I was dead, but I could hear fighting. Was I a spirit of something? Ow! Nope…I still hurt. Maybe that was how it was supposed to feel. How would I know? I'd never died before obviously. At least I could listen to the outcome of the battle before I left the world.

Tai Lung was devastated and I realized he must have seen the empty Dragon Scroll. Now, he sounded absolutely petrified. "The Wuxi Finger Hold," he gasped. Impossible! There was nothing particularly amazing that Po could really do. What if he did know something and accidentally killed himself? And Tai Lung, would he die too? He was still my son and still wanted to be loved, he'd just thought I was lying before.

"Oh, you know this hold?" the panda asked, imitating the words I had used to tease him when he first arrived.

"You're bluffing…you're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach you that…" Tai Lung protested. Now, that was strange…I told him the secret of the Wuxi finger hold before…,never Po though…

"Nope. I figured it out. Skadoosh," he said and I almost rolled my eyes at him. That ruined the amazing effect that followed. Po could influence air and so, he mad a hemisphere of air over the city and another over him, the third being over Tai Lung. He didn't seem t realize he was doing this, just that he was letting loose a lot of power. Tai Lung let rage a fire inside, spreading across the dirt, exploding the hemisphere of pressurized air, and yet, somehow keeping the village from being harmed. Was Po okay? Hearing running up the back of the Jade Palace, after several quiet moments, I turned. Was Po here?

"Master," Tai Lung snarled from behind me, and I turned around, growling at him.

"Where's Po?" I snarled. He'd better not have killed him…and was he going to kill me too if he had killed Po?

"I have kept my promise," he simply told me, and vanished, bounding back down the stairs and far away, as fast as he could. Momentarily confused, I paused before remembering I had made him promise never to kill anyone, so long ago. He had actually kept his word all this time. Lying down on my side, I wondered if he was Tai Lung was dead and he had visited me in my dead state to share this with me.

"Master, Shifu, are you okay?" Po asked, surprising me as he race up the stairs. Maybe Tai Lung had accidentally killed him too…He turned me over and I grunted with pain and surprise, opening my eyes. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was worried.

"Po, you're alive," I murmured, as I could definitely feel his paws. Could two ghosts feel each other? "Or we're both dead," I dejectedly spoke my alternative.

"No, Master, I didn't die. I defeated Tai Lung," he gently assured me.

"You did? Wow…it is as Oogway foretold…you are the Dragon Warrior," I painfully sighed. "You have brought peace…to this valley…and-and to me. Thank you. Thank you, Po…Thank you…Thank you…" I trailed off breathlessly. I needed a nap…

"No, Master! No, no, no, don't die, Shifu! Please!" he cried in anguish.

"I'm not dying you idiot!" I hissed angrily before relaxing my furious position. Yelling…painful…not good. "Ah, Dragon Warrior. I am simply at peace. Finally," I sighed. That wasn't completely true. I wasn't sure if Tai Lung's reappearance had been a dream or reality. But I wasn't going to tell him that. It would only worry him. Laying down, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sun.

"Oh, so, um, I should stop talking now?" he asked, sounding sheepish.

"If you can," I smiled at him. He lay down beside me and I heard him fidget for a few moments before opening his mouth to speak. Thinking better of it, he stopped, but began to move around again.

"You want to get something to eat?" he both timidly and hopefully asked. I sighed. How could this panda be thinking of food now? Oh well, he had saved the village, so we might as well go down anyway.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes Po, I don't talk just to hear my own voice," I growled. He got up and I followed more slowly. My leg still hurt, as well as my shoulder, and I was sore all over. I wanted to see if everyone was alright though, so we went down the stairs, and I was surprised when I reached the base of the stairs, that the village was still gathered around. They began to cheer happily for the Dragon Warrior and I grinned proudly at him.

"Master, you're alright!" Tigress purred, padding closer and actually hugged me. Surprised, I realized she hadn't done that since she was a kit.

Her hug was gentle because of her broken ribs from when she had attacked Tai Lung, but I could still feel her love in it.

The rest of the day passed in a huge celebration of the full acceptance of the Dragon Warrior and the defeat of Tai Lung. I couldn't help wondering though, if he was truly gone and what I would do if he wasn't. Tigress went to the doctor and came back for the celebration. We even went to eat at Po's father's restaurant. Mr. Ping's noodles were very good and though Po loved his goose father very much, he decided to stay at the Jade Palace.

Night soon fell, and we went back home. Po led the way, talking eagerly about his success with Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper. Even Tigress, who had formerly seemed to loathe him, joined to listen curiously.

Barely listening, I kept thinking of how he had appeared to me. If he was dead, Po was a killer now and the happy student I'd trained had destroyed my son. If he was alive, Po had failed as the Dragon Warrior, Oogway was wrong, and we would have a reckoning from Tai Lung for his second defeat. Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly heard Tigress's steps get slower as she dropped back to talk to me in a quiet voice.

"I'I should have helped you. We all should have," she sympathetically murmured.

"If you did, he would have killed you for sure. He nearly killed me and…" I started, deciding to tell her how I felt about them for so many years. "If anything happened to any of you because of me, I wouldn't be able to bear it. You're my daughter and I'm sorry I trained you deprived of love. I was too fearful you'd become like Tai Lung," I sighed.

"I love you too," she mewed gently, brushing up against me and swishing her tail happily. I could have sworn I heard her purr and we headed up the mountain together. "Good night father," she shyly meowed before hurrying off to her room with the others just ahead. Happily, I went to bed under the cold moonlight. For now, my life seemed to be changing for the better…but I couldn't help wondering…just how long it would last.


	12. Memories Resurfacing

A couple moths passed since the battle with Tai Lung, and I began to put the fears of Tai Lung's return to the back of my mind. Though I still trained Po and the Furious Five, my relation with them strengthened and I was able to enjoy spending free time with them. Po and Tigress seemed more…attached, but to my slight relief, with a bit of a distant relationship. I still wasn't exactly sure how I felt about this. The panda was very nice, the Dragon Warrior, a great cook, and a loyal friend, but some part of me, and I'd recently discovered how very large that part was, would always be protective of my little Tigress.

This morning, the snow was falling. It was winter, but this was very unusual for this part of China. And so, I let them off training for the day, as rare as the thick snow that began to blanket the ground. Breakfast had passed and I had been meditating in the empty training hall. When I went outside to enjoy the snow, I found with some surprise, that they were already outside, playing. My mind had almost wandered at that curiosity, when a missile flew at me from behind.

Sensing it, I ducked and jumped into the air while flicking it upwards with my foot, back flipped, and landed noiselessly in the cold snow. Catching it, I smirked at my attacker's attempt to catch me off guard.

"Nice catch, Master," Po giggled. Annoyed at his snickering childish tone, I pitched the snowball I'd caught with deadly speed and accuracy, causing it to explode in his face.

"If only you could catch as well," Tigress calmly sneered as he fell down with a yelp, Viper snickered discretely, and Mantis snorted, thoroughly exasperated with the two constantly verbally sparring with each other.

"Gotcha!" Monkey chuckled, hurling one at Tigress. Not surprising me in the least, she caught it and smashed it in her claws, taking on a menacing stance. He didn't seem particularly impressed, so she leaned down and began to form her own snowball.

"Tigress, don't-" Crane began to warn, realizing this could trigger a fully escalated snow war. He didn't even get a chance to continue his lecture though, as Viper threw an

accurate one with a little zip to it, hitting him with a squawk of surprise. The winter scene erupted into friendly, teasing laughter and flying snow.

Po managed to hide behind a snow pile and surprise Tigress with a snowball right down the neck of her shirt. With a high pitched squeal of fright and fury, she whipped around and cuffed him several times before he could quickly back away. Shuddering and shaking the snow off of her, she hissed angrily at him.

"Pussy," he teased.

"What did you call me," she growled, turning on him.

"Erm…" he stuttered, realizing he had gotten into a heap of trouble with her. Grinning, I wondered what she would do now.

Grabbing a bunch of snow, she made as if to throw it at him and he leapt behind the pile of snow he had originally been hiding behind. Mischief sparked the air, and she suddenly whipped it at me. Dodging, I glared at her.

"Tigress…" Too late. Meowing happily, she began to chase me around, trying to play doge ball with me but using snowballs instead.

"What kind of respect is this?" I yelped at her, jumping into the branches of a tree.

"Snow war!" Crane shouted, surprising us in his high, loud voice. Tigress, Viper, and Mantis were ganging up against Po, Crane, Monkey, and I. Smiling to myself, I couldn't remember the last time my students had ever played together so happily.

"Shh!" Tigress mewed to Crane, pausing still for a moment.

"Don't 'shh' me," Crane protested, slightly annoyed, but not enough to risk her unpredictable mood swings.

"Shut up birdbrain!" Tigress emphasized. Too surprised to rebuke her, I listened as everyone immediately shut up and looked curiously at her. Slowly, a hesitant knocking came from the palace doors.

"Hello," a voice timidly called and I twitched my ears. The snow smothered most of the scents, one of the reasons why I disliked snow, but loved winter. Though the scent information wasn't clear, I did determine that the speaker was a young female. Padding to the door and hearing the others follow me, I opened them.

"Hello," I cautiously said, and to my confusion, the Furious Five and Po seemed both shocked and amazed. Well, who or what was it, because I certainly had no idea from their reactions.

"My name is Lucy. Are you Shifu?" she asked. Pausing blankly, I heard another pair of feet dragging up the mountain steps.

"I'm Jet," he panted, and then added, "Hi."

"Yes, I'm Master Shifu," I replied awkwardly, trying to figure out why my students were so silent in their presence. Had they all met before or something?

"Wait…who…what?" Po suddenly burst out and I wondered if our guests would mind if I hit the idiotic panda right now.

"Who are you?" Tigress meowed in shock. Not her too! "Shifu…" she began.

"What?" I growled, nearly on the verge of losing my temper. What the heck here was going on?

"Oh my," Viper exhaled, slithering around Monkey to peek at the arrivals.

"Don't you know…?" Tigress continued.

"We're your children," Lucy finished and I froze, shocked into silence. Impossible.

"I actually did not see that one coming…Ow!" Po yelped as Tigress swatted him angrily. The world felt as if it had frozen in time and I could only stare silently. My sister, my wife, my love…she had survived. And apparently, s had our kits.

"Erm…Shifu," Crane worriedly waved a wing in front of my face, but I didn't flinch. It had been so long…

"Okay, what the heck is going on?" Mantis impatiently asked.

"I don't know, but it's a doozy," Monkey gasped. Anyway…

"She survived," was all I murmured.

"OMG," Viper said.

"Come to the kitchen and I will tell you," I sighed, flicking my tail in a gesture as I headed that way. My students were clearly bursting with curiosity, since my past had always been a mysterious secret to them. Joining in the room, we all sat down, and I wondered where to begin.

"Why did you never tell us you had children?" Po suddenly asked me. "They're cute!"

"Hey!" Jet protested. Even Viper couldn't outmatch Po's subtlety sometimes.

"I never knew I did. Their mother, Ming Yue, was my adopted sister. A long time ago, Tehn-Xiu killed our mother. Our father died of illness a few months before we were born. One of her friends, Baihehua, a female fox; Ming Yue, and I went to train under Oogway with Xiongmeng, of Master Flying Rhino; and Yingzi, a male wolf. Ming Yue and I married, we adopted a son, Tai Lung, and a few years later, she became pregnant. Tehn-Xiu and his army attacked during that time, and he killed Baihehua, and stole my wife. I was unconscious when it happened and Tai Lung and I were both devastated. Xionmeng left, Yingzi could not kill his own kind, and I kept going off to search for her. Tai Lung was alone and when I returned for good, he tried so hard to please me. Eventually, he betrayed me, twenty years passed, and he tried to kill the Dragon Warrior and I, but he didn't succeed," I told them all, finishing my story.

"Whoa!" Monkey gaped.

"Where is she anyway?" Crane thoughtfully asked. Tigress had suddenly looked up at me in surprise when she realized I hadn't said he was killed. I don't think he was and neither was Ming Yue, as my children had told me.

"Yes, why didn't she come?" I asked, confused and dismayed. Maybe she didn't want to see me after I gave up on her.

"She would…it's just…she can't," Lucy carefully elaborated, eluding the question uncomfortably, and I felt the other's sympathy and fright flood over me.

"Is she dead?" I whispered and stiffened. No! Not after I had gotten my hopes up…

"No!" Lucy fiercely growled.

"Our village was visited by a wolf pack. They told us to leave within three days and took mother and several others as prisoners, threatening that they would kill them all if our village didn't leave by the deadline. It took us nearly a day to find you guys with other villages' help. We need you to help rescue her," Jet said, twitching his tail angrily at the memory.

"How did she escape the first time?" I asked curiously, but most of my thoughts were already on rescuing my wife. I could take the wolves on alone and leave Po, the Furious Five, and the children here to enjoy winter.

"She was unconscious when they had captured her at first and when she woke up, she was blindfolded. They obviously underestimated her because she fought her way free," Lucy answered proudly. "After that, she arrived at a red panda village, but she never found her way back here," she continued sadly.

"But the red panda village is only a mile away," I protested. Surely she would remember the journey we made as kits.

"There's more than one in China," Jet snorted.

"Lead the way then," I decided. They knew the way, so they may as well come. It would be harder to track their scents through the falling snow. "The rest of you, stay here," I ordered.

"It's too dangerous!" Tigress immediately protested.

"She's right. We need more warriors to fight our way into their fortress. They've been steadily increasing their territory, and they captured a castle from the tortoises," Lucy added.

"We've been against odds far worse before, and the wolves are rogues with brute force, not warriors with strategies and skill," I pointed out. "They will not be hard to beat," I told Tigress.

"You left us behind once. You're not doing it again!" Crane snapped and we all glanced in surprise at the normally quiet and thoughtful bird.

"Exactly," Mantis put in.

"Right on," Monkey agreed.

"Count me in," Viper hissed happily.

"Let's kick butt! Ya hear that, wolf boys? Get ready to feel the thunder!" Po shouted enthusiastically.

Tigress, embarrassed, shuffled a little farther away from him before adding, "So deal with it."

"Fine, we'll leave in the morning, arrive at night, and fight the next day," I pretended to give in.

"Meanwhile…can we do training?" Jet asked hopefully. Wow…I didn't quite expect them all to believe me that quickly.

"What?" I flicked my ears in surprise.

"Can we?" Lucy pleaded.

"Our mother taught us a lot," Jet automatically added. They were my students' ages and probably near ready to be masters, so it wouldn't hurt to figure out their fighting styles.

"I'd like to see how they do," Monkey ventured.

"They certainly seem like they'd be good. We'll go easy on them," Viper added.

"Hey!" Jet protested.

"You could teach them too," Mantis told me. I was tempted, but I decided to practice my skills, just in case there was a lot of wolves…not that any of them could beat me of course.

"No, you can all practice with each other. I'll join you at dinnertime," I told them, before leaving on a trail even the Furious Five had never been on. It lead to a training course, not very unlike their own, but for those who had become masters and had a lot of experience. Yingzi, Xiongmeng, Baihehua, Ming Yue, and I found it just when we were

newly named masters. Though Oogway had probably guessed we went to it secretly, I think he secretly watched. Maybe after I defeated the wolf pack and rescued Ming Yue, I would show them.

Modeled after theirs, I had the five main things to practice on. The Iron Gauntlet used gators made of iron, The Field of Flaming Wires was a network of wires connected between poles that stretched them taut, the Seven Talon Ring Wall was made of separate ones, slightly enlarged, and connected at the tips, the Wood Tortoise was very fragile and required balance and careful precision, and the Swinging Axes had axes on chains swinging at you while balancing on the wooden snakes, similar to the Swinging Claws.

First, I went to my favorite, the Field of Flaming Wires. My skills had surpassed this training course many years ago, but it was still fun and I wanted to relax. Unfortunately, meditating only held my agitation at bay until it exploded. Fighting let me take it out on something. As I was about to begin, I heard a faint scrabble of claws on roof tiles. The scents, as they were downwind in the snow, were hard to pick up, but as I strained to listen, the heartbeats of eight reached me. So, my students had fallowed me and wanted to see what I was doing. Well, this was going to be fun.

Moving as fast as I could, I found swift foot and hand spots between the wire networks as my speed defied the burning flames. The ground was hot too, but since I would rest at a particular spot no longer than a second, I felt no pain. Finally, from one hand, I sprang up, did a double somersault mid-air, and landed out of the field.

Walking to the Swinging Axes, I used snow leopard style as Tai Lung did, moving into a powerful, almost dance, springing quickly around so I wouldn't lose balance. Dodging the axes, I flipped forward and used my foot to slam the axe. Shards of metal flew around me as I landed back on the ground.

The Seven Talon Ring Wall, I memorized, so everything, all the moves I was about to do, I planned out. Swinging through all of them, sometimes only by a hand or foot, I propelled myself upwards to the top. Leaping from up high, I spun through various kung fu mid-air battle moves before landing on the pads of my fingers and bouncing to my feet.

The Wood Tortoise wasn't very intimidating, but if even Crane set foot on it, the thing would tilt almost to the ground's level. Standing still and feeling the energy of my chi race up inside me, I began to flip, leap, and dart along its sides, creating a mad race to keep one of us in balance. Finishing with that, I quickly jumped over the edge and steadied the bowl with my hand so its rocking wouldn't make it flip over.

Poor Po still had trouble with the Gator Gauntlet…and since his fist day here, I hadn't wanted to imagine him on the Iron Gauntlet. Going to that, I spun through, slightly faster than Mantis, while being careful to avoid the heavy metal arms. Finishing the course, I stopped and twitched an ear as my students began to creep away so they could pretend they had been training the whole time.

"So, what would you like to do now, my students?" I asked them with a slight grin. Their surprise amused me and Tigress growled with annoyance at being found out. Never yet had they managed to sneak up on me unnoticed.

"We can train now, I suppose," Lucy giggled sheepishly.

"We could all spar with each other," Tigress said thoughtfully, happy to be off the hook.

"Then come to the courtyard," I told them, leading the way. The snow was freezing now that I'd stopped moving around during training, but I wanted to make them really tired tonight.

Po and Tigress went first, as Lucy and Jet, Viper and Mantis, and Monkey and Crane did. We went through the evening, training hard, and I found myself becoming very impatient for the night. I was very proud of Lucy and Jet's fighting skills, and maybe had they been just students, I might have taken them along with me. But they weren't. They were my children, and where I went, they could not come. Dinner passed by slowly, but tired, they eventually went to their bedrooms. I had Viper prepare a couple for my children and walking to my room, as if I was going to bed, I wondered if Tigress knew. If she did, it didn't matter. My plans were complete, I was ready, and nothing was going to stop me.

"What are you planning?" Tigress mewed from beside me and I realized she had fallowed me a little ways away from the group to talk to me.

"I'm not Tigress," I replied smoothly. I already decided.

"Please, whatever you're doing, just eave me out of it," she sighed and left. I was surprised she hadn't guessed my plan and was wondering what she thought I was doing and why she would have said that.

Slowed breathing, not to mention snores from Po, filled the air, and the time had come. Taking Ming Yue's flute, I went into Lucy's room and left it beside her. Tigress would know what I meant. Turning once back towards my students', my family's rooms, I stepped out of the Jade Palace and walked to the gates.

Pushing them open, I inhaled softly, breathing in the cool night air. No one would be in danger from me ever again. 'I am coming for you' I promised Ming Yue. This would be difficult, and I might even need to fit in with the pack to eventually free her and the other prisoners, but I had to do this. I owed her so much happiness, and she gave me my kits. Briefly limping to the edge of the stairs with my two swords tied to my back from the Hall of Sacred Warriors, I paused.

"I will be back," I promised the Jade Palace before leaping down the stairs, and racing off into the night, scenting along the trail that would lead me the wolves.

The night passed and near midday, I arrived. As I was so fast, and I didn't rest long, I'd arrived early. Scenting and listening carefully, I found they were in a stone castle. It wasn't too big, but I scented nearly a hundred wolves. Listening to a couple wolves, I tried to figure out the best way to attack.

"Nu Hou is becoming way too obsessed with her attacks. I mean, it's winter, we're wolves. We shouldn't be taking land from innocents when we don't even use it as territory," a male sighed. Wolves loved to farm, but mostly, they loved to sing, dance, and party to the moon in general. They were a peaceful type and I felt sorry for them if they were being forced to do this.

"She threatens to kill any deserters and I can't help wondering if she's finally gone loopy," a she-wolf growled.

"Shh! Not so loud!" the male snapped back and I knew I couldn't just go in and slaughter them all.

"The only ones to fear are the dozen or so who would die for her without question because the killing intoxicates them. Maybe we could rebel against her and return home," the male insisted.

"No! It's impossible. We have no chance so we may as well stop talking of it," his companion snarled back uneasily. That decided it. I would simply get the prisoners out from the inside of the pack. These wolves seemed mostly innocent, so I would gain the trust of this Nu Hou and rescue the prisoners. Thinking of Ming Yue reminded me of something and finding a patch of dark mud, I grinned to myself. This was going to be so fun.

One hour later, the mud didn't stick together, but made all my fur dark brown and slightly hard and bristly. I had bought different clothes from a different village earlier to blend in, and now they were being put to good use. With Ming Yue's long ago comparison, I had essentially become to the other's perception, a dark brown cat…visually.

Strolling confidently into the camp on soft feet, I slipped through the gates. A moment later, five guards leapt down from the wall to meet me.

"State your name and business," one wolf growled.

"My name is Jian Dao, and I will state my business with your leader," I growled. The fake name I had chosen meant sharp knife and I took the name since I didn't want to be messed with while I was rescuing my wife.

"You will speak with respect," another snarled in a high scratchy voice, lunging at me with his weapon drawn. Ducking, I kicked the underside of his arm sharply to make him drop his sword, and grabbed a fistful of his ear. He squalled and yelped with pain, but I forced him to the ground.

"Don't tell me what to do! I will show you the proper respect when you've earned it," I snarled. Thrusting him away from me, I glared defiantly at the rest of the patrol, who seemed to smell a little uneasy.

"Fine, we will take you to her," the original speaker growled hesitantly, leading me to the old musty castle and through the passageways, until we reached a room upstairs that reeked of evil and wolf.

"Who's this, a recruit…or a prisoner?" the alpha wolf barked and my fur began to bristle. Calming myself until it lay flat again, I tried not to seem too hostile. She was the one who had stolen Ming Yue the first time!

"My name is Jian Dao and I come to join your pack, as I'm the most skilled warrior you'll ever find," I boasted to her.

"Hmm…we'll see if you're as good a fighter as you say," she cunningly growled and snapped her fingers.

Ten wolves immediately began to close in on me from the doorway. They were skilled swordsman, but I doubted any of them had encountered one such as I. They began to surround me and attack from each way in the darting skills of a wolf pack. That did not matter, for I was too fast for any of them. Sliding under one's legs, I slammed a foot into his back, back flipped over an attacker form behind so he slammed into one in front, and whirled to trip a few others with one leg. Twisting and leaping, I managed to fell, knock out, or momentarily injure them all with my cheetah style fighting.

"You have skill. Why do you come here and seek us out?" Nu Hou curiously asked, and I could feel some whirling hidden thoughts. Concealing my true intentions, I thought quickly.

"Originally I belonged to a band, but they had much less power than I had hoped. Once I heard of your fortress, I dispersed form them as you seem to have potential," I

shrugged. Contemptuously sweeping my sightless gaze over the fallen warriors, I contemptuously added, "Or at least, you do."

"You may stay, I suppose. We have no upcoming battles, so you can help guard the cells. Bai will show you the prison cells," she said and I quickly processed that she didn't trust me enough to tell me of the threats to the red panda village or that there were prisoners. Were the cells soundproofed? White, in fact, was more likely being appointed to guard me rather than help me guard the prisoners.

He came to me and we left silently, twisting and turning through a single passageway on the left, going lower and lower into the ground.

"Shh!" he suddenly snarled, pinning me up against the wall, "I know who you are, so be quiet or I'll warn the others!"

Shocked, I prepared myself to strike the nerves in his neck, viper style, until he started laughing quietly, both annoying and confusing me.

"Shifu, you daft fur ball, don't you recognize me anymore?" the wolf chuckled and I, confused, scented harder. I had known him since he was a kit. Hw could I not recognize him now? I realized that his deeper voice and the putrid conditions he lived in must have masked his sound and scent.

"Yingzi?" I yelped.

"After I left the palace, I managed to sneak Ming Yue away from the wolf guards. The guards found me and captured me, but she escaped. They didn't know I was trained under Master Oogway and they eventually trusted me enough for me to be part of the pack. I have been biding my time ever since…in fact, it amazes me that he allowed you to come alone," he questioningly told me.

"Yingzi, he's dead," I sadly told him.

"What?" he yelped and his sadness flooded over me, but he seemed to be more reserved than I had thought he would. Then again, he had been away so long that he must have gotten used to missing us.

I quickly explained to him about the incident with Tai Lung, the Dragon Warrior, the death of Oogway, and everything leading up to now, minus unimportant details.

"Well, the prisoners are all here from your village, inside the one cell. There actually aren't very many. We have to plan how to help them to escape though. I don't think we can get out of this fortress, along with the prisoners, without a fight," Yingzi worriedly continued.

"You don't have to fight if you don't want to," I quickly assured him, "I have an idea. If you can get the wolves fighting amongst each other…which they don't seem to have the same sense of loyalty to their kind, so I think they will, then I can lead the prisoners out. That way, nobody gets hurt. Though the wolves are rogues, they don't like being here very much…they're in fear of the others who are loyal to Nu Hou."

"Alright, it's worth a try," he shrugged, but seemed relieved, "I'll meet you afterwards at the edge of the forest nearest to the entrance."

"You're coming back?" I gaped in surprise.

"Well, yeah! I'm not sticking with these ruffian fur balls any longer, now that I will have my revenge on them for their disgrace to simply being a wolf," he snorted before adding, "That is, if you'll have me."

"Of course," I grinned at him happily.

"Thanks. I got to go now. I'll start the fight when twilight falls. You need to tell the prisoners the plan and Ming Yue, of course," he chuckled and slowly left the room. Now that e left, I paused uncertainly. I never knew if she still even loved me or not. Would she even recognize me after so many years?

Taking the rusty keys form a small box behind a brick slightly popped out of the wall, I unlocked the door and stepped in. Finally…I…where was she? Stepping inside the room, I felt a chill run up my spine. Where was she? Confused and fearful, my thoughts welled up inside me until I felt dizzy. She should be here… Scenting someone, I turned.

"Looking for something?" one of the male wolves growled dangerously. Before I could stammer out something, he cut me off short. "She's not there Shifu. None of them are there, and soon you won't be here."

"Who are you?" I growled angrily. What had he done with her?

"Oh, you wouldn't know me, would you?" he snarled. "You killed my father."

No…it couldn't be…

"You killed him, and you will pay. Don't worry, I won't tell my mother. She is fierce…but she doesn't think it's your fault. She hates him for his mistake…as if! No, I will wait for the right moment," he continued, seeming to talk to himself.

"Nu Hou is your mother?" I yelped.

"And just guess who my father is! You just had to be a hero didn't you, and now he's dead!" he screeched, advancing towards me. Instead of backing up, I simply stood where I was until we were face to face. His hot breath billowed around me and tension crackled along his bristled fur.

"Tehn-Xiu deserved to die, and the facts that he was power hungry and there happened to be a storm that night is not my fault. I never killed him, but if you have done anything to harm the innocents captured from my village or Ming Yue, I swear I will not hesitate to kill you," I snarled. The sincerity in my words seemed to make him back up a little, but he snorted and turned away.

"You can try," was al he blustered, but even though he wasn't so much of a threat alone, his entire pack might attack early or kill the prisoners if he told them who I was.

Wolf scent mixed around me and I struggled to find Yingzi's scent. He had to know what had just happened. Climbing up the stairs again, to the regular part of the castle, I could feel the curiosity and fear f wolves around me as they padded down the hallways. I still couldn't find Yingzi's scent, but I did find Nu Hou's son's, and it was heading right for her room. Maybe he had overcome his cowardice and was making good on his threats.

Peeking around, I suddenly felt nothing. He couldn't have just disappeared, could he? Then, I realized it was behind me now, and before I could turn, a heavy paw slammed me against the stone wall. Agony exploded through my temple and I smelled blood before sinking to the ground and unconsciousness.


	13. Lucy's Gift

"Get up!" Tigress's panicked meow woke me, screeching from the hall inside the Jade Palace. Stumbling out of bed, I wondered what on earth was going on for her to have to make such a racket. Then, I remembered her fierce loyalty to my father and her strength of being. She would not be upset over anything if it were not extremely important.

"What?" Jet mumbled, echoing my thoughts, and yet, rolling over to put his head back beneath the covers. We shared a room though we had different beds.

"Get up. I think this is important," I insisted, prodding his back with a foot.

"Up!" the tiger yowled again, but her voice was filled with panic and anger.

"What's going on?" I growled, shooting out of the room impatiently to see the others already emerging from their bedrooms. Jet suddenly collided with me as he tripped out of our room, almost making me stumble.

"Shifu's gone!" she snapped. I flinched a little at her anger, but couldn't help feeling a little worried myself.

"The gong hasn't rung yet, you know," Crane pointedly started. Bong! He sighed at the irony, as it just happened to do so.

"I know! I woke up earlier though, and he's nowhere in the Jade Palace!" Tigress exclaimed before adding sheepishly, "I even asked Zeng to search for him in the village." I smiled a little, remembering talking to him as he visited us before bedtime. He was very friendly, but a little absent minded and uncoordinated. Father would sometimes be annoyed by that, and adding that to the nervous fowl, it simply made him more absent minded, more uncoordinated, and even gave him a little bit of a stutter when talking face to face with others. Poor little guy…

"So?" Po asked. "Maybe he had to do something in the village," he suggested.

"I don't think so…" Jet started and I glanced at him in surprise. Why did he sound so sure?

"Why not? It's not like he's very open and he might have been called away on a secret mission," the panda continued.

"You really take too many of our stories literally. The villagers always assume the weirdest things and make up or add to our adventures," Tigress sighed, rolling her eyes.

"He left behind something…or at least I think it's his," Jet tried to add in again.

Tigress quickly pushed past him and into our room, fallowed closely by the others. What was Jet talking about?

"Why would he leave his flute in their room?" Po curiously asked Tigress.

"That's mom's," I realized out loud, glancing around fearfully. They must know ht this meant.

"Really?" my brother asked, looking at me with an ear slightly cocked in confusion.

"Yes, she told us once, long ago. Don't you see what this means?" I glared at him. Sometimes my brother could be so dense.

"He's gone to rescue her by himself," he sighed.

"Why would he go alone though?" I wondered.

"He did the same thing with Tai Lung! He's so impatient..and stubborn…and insane!" Tigress burst out, her mew filled with disappointment, anger, and …worry.

"But you love him," I quietly protested. I hadn't known any of them very long, but I could tell from the start that Tigress and Po had an unusually close connection with Shifu.

"Like it or not, he did this because he cares. Still, we should go help him," Viper added.

"I know!" Tigress snapped.

"Can we have breakfast quickly?" Po asked sheepishly.

"No," Monkey growled with disgust and Crane simply snapped a wing across the top of the panda's head.

"Ow…sorry," he muttered.

Determined not to laugh, I focused on father. I could see his reasoning, but why did he have to leave us? Wed only just met him for crying out loud!

"How can we catch up with him anyway? He runs faster than anyone I've ever seen and he obviously went during the night. Although, he won't attack at night or on the day the wolves attack, I'm pretty sure," Jet logically reasoned.

"Do you even remember the way?" Mantis asked skeptically.

"I do," I interrupted. We had gotten here by my tracking skills. It was something strange I'd always been able to do. It wasn't by scent, but a feeling that we were going the right or the wrong way. Jet could get a feeling of other's thoughts and tell whenever anyone was telling the truth or lying as a sort of special ability from him. I knew from my mother that Shifu could see what no one else could see.

"Alright," Viper sounded relieved and I was surprised nobody questioned how I could remember such a long way. What would I tell them when they found out what a crooked path to our destination was? Should I tell them what we could do?

"We could also ask the cheetah runners for help," Crane calmly suggested.

"I hate to say this, but are you insane?" Viper yelped back.

"Why?" I simply asked.

"They are the five running sisters and five brothers of the Zou family. They all kept the family name. The sisters are Zou Meng, Zou Feng, Zou Shui, Zou Shi, and Zou Nu. The brothers are Zou Ri, Zou Huo, Zou Xin, Zou Zai, and Zou Hei," Tigress answered,

"As nephews of the emperor, they will possibly allow us to ride them. Shifu has done the emperor and them many great favors before."

"Ride them?" Jet echoed.

"They are warriors, perhaps not quite as skilled as us, but feared nonetheless. They don't bother us and we don't bother them. Though Shifu has helped them many times, we still don't agree with their demands to always get in a fight," Viper glared venomously at the female tiger.

"So their names are running dream, running wind, running water, running arrow, running passion, running sun, running fire, running heart, running calamity, and running black?" I checked with Tigress, feeling a little confused. These were okay names and all considering they were cheetahs, but for a family of ten?

"Very traditional family," Monkey shrugged, almost toppling Mantis from his shoulder.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Po asked, shuffling excitedly, "Let's go!"

"Yeah, they're not the friendliest, but that's no reason not to go ask them," Mantis added.

"You just don't like asking for help?" Crane teased Tigress and I wasn't surprised. Seeing the feisty feline's temper and strong will, I doubted she was comfortable with asking for help. Well, she'd have to deal with it. We had to help father before he in trouble or even hurt!

"I'm fine!" Tigress hissed indignantly. Lashing her tail a couple times, she realized she couldn't back down from this and sighed, "Let's get going. The sooner we fetch that daft fur ball home, the sooner we can all stop worrying."

As we packed small backpacks with money, food, and clothes, I wondered how both my mother and father were.

"You're worried about them aren't you?" Jet asked, and I bristled a little. I hated it when he sensed my thoughts like that!

"No, I'm just worried about the weather. That's all. It will be extremely cold with all this snow, and I think if it starts to blizzard, we are as good as dead if we're out in the mountains alone," I insisted. Though this was true, I still couldn't help worrying.

"Don't lie to me," he warned, and before I could protest, he added, "I know your telling me the truth, but not all of it. It's okay to be worried, but I'll always be with you and to protect you."

"I don't need protecting," I hissed. I could fight as well as he could, and he better not get in my way!

"I didn't say you did, but I'm your brother and I'll be there for you," he answered and I stared into his heather brown eyes with confusion. What did he think was going to happen? I knew him well enough to figure out that there was something troubling him, but I also knew he would tell me if he thought I needed to know.

"Come on, I think the others are waiting for us," I broke the uncertain silence and we headed out into the snow. I hadn't been out in the freezing cold yet and I marveled at the many snowflakes drifting through the air. To my relief though, it didn't look as if it were going to snow anymore, and the air was not so rigid cold.

We ran swiftly and even Po managed t keep up with us as we trekked to the cheetah family's village. They curiously began to emerge from their houses as we arrived, but said

nothing and shrank back into the shadows as we knocked on the door of the Zou family's house.

Suddenly, the door cracked open swiftly and a small voice hissed, "Go away!" I could barely glimpse a pair of gleaming amber eyes in the shadows of the door.

"We're not interested!" another continued, its voice belonging to a pair of emerald green eyes. With quicker seed than I could believe, Tigress jammed a soft paw into the crack of the door as the cheetahs quickly tried to close it.

"We are not selling anything! We've come to request your services in battle!" Tigress growled impatiently.

"Who are you?" emerald eyed cat meowed curiously, thrusting the door open for her. To my surprise, all ten cats were hidden behind the door, ears perked with curiosity, but eyes wary nonetheless.

"My name is Tigress, this is Monkey, Crane, Viper, Mantis, Lucy, and Jet. We train at the Jade Palace under Master Shifu," she answered, formally introducing us.

"Where is he?" a male cheetah with warm brown eyes meowed hopefully, "We have not seen him for a long time. He is a good friend and has helped us on numerous occasions." The cheetah narrowed his eyes as we exchanged glances; surprised he had known them that well.

"Has something happened?" his sister cut him off quickly, "Something bad?"

"Yes," Tigress answered more cautiously now.

"I see you have quite a story to tell. Come in and we will listen," the cheetah invited us with a welcoming flick of her tail. Slowly filing in, we sat down on a couple comfy chairs to explain everything to them. My mind wandered as Tigress began her story, with additional help from the others.

"We will come," one of the larger males with eyes close to black, told us, dipping his head. "It may take us a few minutes to get ready," he warned.

"Of course," Tigress answered, but I could tell from the sharp flicking of the tip of her tail that she was impatient to e getting on our way again. I had to agree with her on this one. I understood we couldn't just expect the cheetahs to have been ready, but every moment here was lost in our time to get to the wolves' castle.

They got ready and each came to us.

"I am Zou Shi and I will take Tigress," the emerald-eyed female meowed politely and they each began to introduce themselves, along with announcing who they'd carry.

"I am Zou Meng and I will take Lucy," a blue-eyed female told me."

"I am Zou Hei and I will take Crane," the brown-eyed male purred.

"I am Zou Zai and I will take Monkey," the amber-eyed male growled.

"I am Zou Huo and I will take Mantis," a purple-eyed male added, and his glowing eyes looked slightly hypnotic.

"I am Zou Ri and I will take Viper," a red-eyed male addressed us His eyes and long-toothed grin began to freak me out..

"I am Zou Nu and I will take Jet," a pretty female with light grey eyes purred.

"And Zou Shui, Zou Xin, and I, Zou Feng will take Po," a black-eyed female introduced her tow brothers, Zou Shui having scary eyes, close to white, and Zou Xin, being an albino cheetah with white fur and glowing pink eyes.

They each let us get on and they began to race in unison. It was a sensation I loved, with the cold air whistling past us and the freedom of skimming through the air, as if we were across water. They each wore thick boots strapped almost to their knees and elbows, lined with soft down and sheep wool. The snow must get cold on their paws, I guessed, and they might be going so fast that they would need to make sure not to trip of anything of cut their paw pads.

"Do you know how the way there?" Zou Shi asked Tigress, and while she was speaking, I noticed that the cheetahs formed a pair of lines with five cheetahs. This seemed to be their formation, and I was amazed by their sense of coordination, each one slowing down or speeding up to match the others' pace, in a continuously moving pattern.

"No, but Lucy does," Tigress answered, her voice unsure. Now, every cat turned curiously to me, even the Furious Five and Po. Only Jet knew what I could really do. It wasn't tracking kills, but a sort of connection.

"She's just a child," Zou Huo growled, "surely you know the way too. Haven't the Furious Five traveled all of China?" His voice was scoffing, but Tigress beat me to a stern reply.

"No, she knows the way and she will lead," her scathing vice quieted even him, and with a quick nod, he dropped into the second line, and Zou Meng ran up front.

Closing my eyes, I silently summoned up all thoughts and traces of my father, the location where we were, and where I wanted to go to find him. A strong pull came from the southwest, but we were heading to far south.

"We have to go more towards the west," I explained in her ear, and she quickly told the others, before as one, they swerved that way.

"But that only leads to an old abandoned forest," Zou Huo protested. Was he constantly going to get in our fur the whole trip?

"You're just afraid of crossing the mountains. You've never seen any forest, only heard of it," Jet accused, and everyone turned to hi now.

"Erm…we passed that way as we escaped and there are no forests, much less an abandoned one that would hide anything dangerous," he grumbled. I narrowed my eyes slightly. He didn't know where the fortress was, but simply that Zou Huo was lying.

"The mountains have a safe passage way that we ca go through quickly and easily. Then, we head around the left side of a village and continue southwest again," I told them. My assurance seemed to distract them and everyone went back talking amongst each other.

"It will take nearly eight hours I presume to reach the Palace of the Emperor. We've never gone farther than that, but we can get supplies there and you all may go on alone," Zou Meng decided.

"You're not fighting with us?" Tigress mewed with surprise.

"No, we like a good battle, but we never go past the emperor's palace. It's simply not done from us. He rules part of that area and we don't mess with his city and blank area around it," Zou Shi explained.

"But the wolves are attacking innocents. You can fight them," I insisted.

"The emperor takes care of his own city and would not appreciate our help, no matter how wise or tactful it may seem," she stubbornly replied.

"We could just ask him this once. Besides, maybe he'll want to help," Zou Meng meowed.

Maybe," she replied thoughtfully. "When we get there, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask," she said.

"Good," Tigress finished, cutting off the topic.

The eight-hour run was extremely long, and we stopped once in a while for bathroom breaks, and once for a lunch and a nap at a nearby village. Crossing the Thread o Hop was okay, and the geese ad ducks strung it back up after the Furious Five and their battle with Tai Lung months ago.

By the time we reached the palace, we were all tired. I still couldn't help feeling excited to see mom and dad soon though. Right now, we needed to talk to the emperor though… The cheetahs already had daggers, and the Furious Five, Po, Jet, and I had weapons too. Tigress wore Oogway's Fists of Iron, Mantis had spikes on the ends of his leg/arm things (never can figure out what to call them), Po had mom's shield, Monkey had an iron staff, Crane had a bow and arrow(he was an excellent shooter), Viper had blade at the end of her tail, Jet had two almost poles with hooks at the end, more in defense, and I had two smaller sabers. I'm not sure dad would appreciate us taking this stuff from the Sacred Hall of Warriors and the storage room, but he couldn't really object, since we were coming to help him after all.

As we neared the gates to the palace, nearly a dozen armored and armed tigers stepped in front of us.

"We are the Zou sisters, nephews to the emperor himself. Let us pass," Zou Meng meowed bravely, but the guards only exchanged nervous glances before speaking.

"The emperor is busy t the moment. We will inform him of your visit, but I think its best that you move on," one of them courteously replied, but his voice was set in stone.

Tigress looked furious but Zou Meng continued, "Please, it's urgent. Is he still in this village?"

Instead of pacifying them, this question seemed too inquisitive for them.

"He is busy and we thank you for expressing your worries," the other one growled.

The cheetahs exchanged glances also, and I guessed neither side had ever had a conversation such as this one.

"Listen you-" Tigress started to snarl, before Zou Shi clamped her tail around her jaws.

"We'll just be going then," she meowed with fake cheer, but their gazes tracked our every move with hostility until we were out of their sight.

"What was that for?" Tigress growled, "Those thick headed males wouldn't have put up much of a fight-"

"So far, we have done nothing wrong ad there is all the chance that the emperor might come with us. If you give him reason to think you're an enemy, no matter how skilled you are, he will make sure there is no place you can hide and nowhere to fight. Ever since his father's untimely death, he has ruled with a cold claw. We thought he might learn from his father's mistakes, but he grows more paranoid by the minute. He doesn't even completely trust us, for goodness sakes," she growled back in a flurry of upset words.

"If he's afraid of danger, how does he stay emperor?" Jet asked confusedly.

"He is not afraid of danger, far from it. One of the bravest fighters I've ever seen, but the worst at judgment. His answer to many things is to fight, and if he joins us, we will

have a powerful ally. However, if he thinks this is all a plot, he doesn't take kindly to betrayal. Do not underestimate the fact that he is emperor. With his soldiers, he's mighty," she shivered. "If we find him, do not let him insist on fighting, no matter what. At least we have a sense of justice. He is sly and bloodthirsty."

Twitching my ears, I heard a rustle of paw steps.

"We're not alone," I murmured. Maybe the guards had brought the emperor to us, changing their minds…

Everyone immediately paused and I scented the air. I had no idea who these newcomers were. I hadn't scented them anywhere in the palace either. Questioningly, I glanced sideways at Jet, but he shrugged. He had no idea either. The cheetahs were bracing their hind legs to fight, and the others seemed slightly nervous too.

A couple more sounds of paws crunching in the snow, and branches of dead trees snapping resounded from the alley, before they immerged. All of them looked completely amazed at the approaches, but I recognized none still.

"I heard you have need of me. I am Emperor Shan Hu," a powerful male tiger growled down at us. His gaze was fierce, and I noticed white scar lines tracing his muzzle and ears, though he looked quite young.

"Xiongmeng," the rhino introduced himself, but he must have been separated from his army, as there were none of the other rhinos that Tigress said worked with him in fighting evil.

"Tai Lung," a male snow leopard purred, and I was amazed. This was the one who betrayed my father, the evil who once threatened to consume the Valley of Peace with his hatred? Somehow, I had expected him to look less like this. His glowing purple eyes were as hypnotic as Zou Huo's, but had a gleam of wicked amber. Rosettes of dark grey over lined his silver and white fur, which bushed out at his tail tip, shoulders, and muzzle. A dark stripe of hair ran down his back, and his claws looked ready to tear though metal. His lower jaw protruded outwards, showing his lower fangs, and gave him a slightly ridiculous look, though I knew he could cause serious damage if he wanted to. He didn't look so bad…

"How did you survive?" Tigress hissed at a higher note than I've ever heard, and her claws shot out, fur bristled, and I could tell she was only a whisker away from attacking him. The depth of her hatred scared me, and I couldn't help agreeing with her anger after he had betrayed the Valley of Peace and nearly killed my father either.

Suddenly, she lunged at him with an angry screech, streaking furiously for his face.

"Listen to me, will you?" Tai Lung growled, parrying her swift harsh blows away with defense that was clearly not meant to hurt her.

"Why should I?" she snapped back, but she paused long enough in her furious attack to stand still, but continued to wear the expression of one who wanted to tear his throat out.

"Because I can help you! I want to t ell Shifu I'm sorry. My anger has always been at myself, but unlike you, I take it out on others physically," he insisted.

"And you're just happening to change your mind after a twenty year grudge," she challenged, but something about the both dismayed and earnest look in his eyes had already convinced me.

"Master Oogway sent me into a coma-like trance the day I truly lost my temper. I could only wake if something powerful enough from a memory came back to me. Zeng gave

me that chance. When his feather fell to me, I could scent my master. My anger was still with me though, and I didn't have enough time to reflect on what I should have done. I changed my mind when I almost killed Shifu. His innocence reminded me that he had always been a good father, and that would never change. He always thought of me first. I thought I'd never get a chance to make up for it, but I don ow, and you can't stop me!" he growled. Po had told me about the previous past with Tai Lung and Shifu. And I thought it was all very complicated. His stubbornness reminded me of Shifu, and I felt slightly jealous he had been like a son to him.

"Believe him Tigress," Po sighed, "He's telling the truth."

"How do you know?" she hissed, "In fact, why is he still alive?"

"He is telling the truth," Jet piped in, his gaze serious, and Tigress looked furious.

"How would you know either?" she argued.

"I can just tell," he muttered without meeting her gaze.

"I figured out the secret of the Wuxi Hold, that it only distracts while you do something. When I did that, I didn't know it. Tai Lung made fire somehow, and I suppose you could say it was contained in air. The pressure made the many bubbles of it burst, creating a strange effect. He protected both of us from it and told me all this. Then, he left," the panda sighed at his admission. Mom once told us that anyone with strong chi could control an element that they were born to be strong with. Tai Lung must have been fire, and Po air. I'd never really heard of it happening, but apparently many of s must be able to do it. I wasn't sure if mom, dad, Jet, of I could do it, but it sounded like Po and Tai Lung could. From the gaze of Xiongmeng, I guessed he might. The emperor, Tigress, Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis seemed dubious so I assumed they couldn't.

"And I promise I will harm none of you," Tai Lung added.

"What good is the word of a traitor?" Tigress rasped, but I saw her hackles slowly lower and her tight muscles relax.

"One thing you can count on…Shifu and I don't ever intentionally lie," the snow leopard smirked at knowing something Tigress didn't.

"This is true," Xiongmeng put in, and I guessed he would know after all, if he had been trained as a student under Oogway at the same time as dad. I wondered if Oogway, Originator of Kung Fu, would have liked me if he were still alive now…

Tigress stood silently, glaring at Tai Lung as they began to talk again.

"So what's the emperor doing here?" Po asked Tai Lung tentatively, probably knowing was going to be in real big trouble with Tigress later on for not telling her about him.

"Ahem, the emperor is coming to help Shifu. He saved me once when I was very little," Shan Hu said irritably.

"We're not going in to slaughter every wolf on sight," Tigress snared, taking her anger out on him instead.

"My enemies seem to have mad up a lot of rumors about me I think," he murmured half to himself and half to her accusingly.

"Well, we ask you permission to battle in you territory," Zou Meng quickly put in to distract them.

"Of course I am, I'm coming aren't I?" he grumbled.

"Fine. Let's get going," Tigress hissed, acknowledging his unspoken question and choosing to make them leave before we wasted more time on old grudges.

Po had to ride only Zou Xin, which was just as well, since he was the strongest. Emperor Shan Hu rode Zou Feng, Xiogmeng rode Zou Shiu, and Tai Lung rode Zou Nu. Jet came to ride by me and I watched curiously as everyone got ready.

A long hour passed as we headed along my spoken trail. Everyone seemed more silent now, except the cheetahs, who were having a hard time understanding this. I told Zou Meng about it, and she carefully listened to my story. Tai Lung rode next to us, and I couldn't help glancing at him a few times. He seemed anxious, and I wondered if he was wondering whether or not Shifu would ever forgive him. I hoped he would, as Tai Lung would make a strong addition to the Furious Five, along with Jet and I.

Jet glanced at me, looking rather irritated and I realized he had been saying something while I was staring at the large snow leopard, lost in my train of thought.

"I said are we nearly there yet?" Jet repeated his question with more emphasis.

"Yes, we're probably only half a mile or so away. We need to stop before we get there though, and plan out how to attack. This seems really complicated," I added.

"Might as well stop for the night too," Jet told me.

"But the wolves are planning to invade the red panda village tomorrow," I protested.

"Look, if he wants to do it during the night, we can, but if not, it wouldn't hut to get some sleep. We can always wake up rather early and keep watches at different times so that we know when sunrise happens," he yawned.

Eventually, we slowed down and everyone began to curl up on the ground. The cheetahs immediately went to sleep, but Tigress, Xiongmeng, and Tigress began to think of battle strategies. The rest f the Furious Five and Po began to converse, but Jet ad Tai Lung stayed a little farther away ad sounded like they were talking friendly with each other. I was tired though, and began to doze off.

The sun was still up and not quite sunset, and we were extremely close to the wolf empire, in the scarce trees, but mostly half behind the large mounds of rock. If Shifu came out, we would see him. If he didn't, we would hear any fighting noises.

"Do you know where he is Lucy?" Jet asked, looking troubled, "Surely he will fight soon. What if he's not here?"

I waited while Tai Lung seemed as if he were sleeping now, ad whispered, "Jet, if he were not here, you know my trail would not have led us to this crumbling castle. There are wolves all around, so it has to be the wolves' base. Shifu is here. I wish Shifu would come, but I'm not a mind reader," I warned him.

"I know," he yawned, ad I glanced at his sleepy eyes.

"Why don't we both get some sleep?" I suggested.

"Sounds good to me," he murmured, and within a few moments, I recognized the steady breathing of his sleep.

Tired, I lay down, but couldn't help feeling, as I closed my eyes, that something was terribly wrong, something we hadn't expected.

I dreamt as I slept, but it was a very strange dream. The sky was blood red and screeches of terror ripped though the air. Gradually, I noticed there was a lake, and it ran

with blood. Fur was caught in the bark of trees and along the trampled grass. Something wasn't right, and alone, a grief-filled wail rang above the stifling air.


	14. Together At Last

When I woke up, a dull pain throbbed in my head and I peered wearily around. By the quiet sounds of the dark and the feel of the rapidly cooling air, I knew it was late in the evening and turning quickly into nightfall.

A small woof sounded from somewhere behind me and I twisted quickly. In the next moment, Yingzi was right next to me, but I bristled my fur and flattened my ears angrily.

"Do you mind telling m why you attacked me?"

"I'm sorry about that, but that wolf who's Nu Huo's son set a trap for you. He led his scent there and made several soldiers and I ambush you from the rafters. It didn't take much to convince him that I would take you out and kill you. After all, I am his supposed second in command, and he's afraid of you," he nervously chuckled, still wary I was angry with him.

"You know I could have killed them all and took the prisoners," I tactfully reminded him…not that I ever would. He seemed to know my thoughts and sighed.

"Yes, but you wouldn't have. The others are innocent and only the dozen soldiers that obey Nu Huo's every command are the real enemies," he echoed.

"Won't Nu Huo be suspicious of you? Does he even know I'm in disguise?" I wondered.

"No, she doesn't yet, but I assume her son will tell her and she will be on careful guard. Besides, I'm leaving this place anyway," Yingzi admitted. Though I wasn't afraid of Nu Huo, if she led her wolves, they were all strong and full of fear, which would make them dangerous, and harder to not hurt them as they tried to hurt us. I had to just go in and rescue the prisoners secretly, but without an advantage, how could I?

"Do you know where Ming Yue and the others might be?" I asked hopefully.

"They are somewhere in the castle, but it has to be somewhere really high or really low, if I haven't seen them yet," he thoughtfully announced, but then added, "You can't go looking for them now."

"Yingzi, we only have the rest of this day and nighttime. They're going to check tomorrow morning and see if the village is evacuated. If they aren't, they'll kill the prisoners and the village. If they are, they'll kill them all anyway. I can't just give her up," I stubbornly shook my head.

"At least, let's go for help," he pleaded anxiously.

"I won't put any of the other villages in danger," I sighed.

"I'm not letting you go alone!" he snarled.

"I'm not giving you a choice and you can't stop me," I calmly replied. He stiffened and glowered at me for a moment, but then he twisted away from me suddenly. Surprised, I noticed that the wind's direction had changed and he bolted for the woods.

"Come on," he called back to me.

Racing through the cold snow and up the rocks of the mountains, I silently fallowed Yingzi.

Soon, I realized what he was tracking. How could I have missed it?

"Xionemeng!" Yinzgi, acting as playful as a puppy, flung himself directly onto the unaware back of the rhino.

"Hey, what the-," he managed to yelp before the wolf shoved him into a pile of snow.

"Is someone attacking us?" a male voice emerged from behind a group of well-sheltered rocks. I knew it was a tiger, and the scent was somehow familiar, as if from long ago. To my surprise, Tigress, Crane, Viper, Monkey, Mantis, Po, Lucy, and Jet also came out, astonished and bewildered at the scene.

"Shifu, how could you leave without us?" Lucy wailed and gave a little happy jump into my arms, knocking me back into the snow.

"And the brave warrior who goes off alone without telling his family anything is defeated by a little girl," Tigress meowed coolly, padding over and twitching her tail crossly, in spite of her joke.

"I know, I just didn't want you in danger," I sighed. I had so not been looking forward to a lecture from one of my students.

"Shifu, you have got to stop going off by yourself and doing things alone. We were all worried and what if you hadn't cam back?" she growled. I raised an eyebrow questioningly at her and she sighed.

"Okay, you probably would have. Just don't keep us out of the action next time," she meowed and I was surprised by her change of mood. Suddenly, she whipped around and I realized that the whole time she had been talking, Lucy had snuck behind her and was mimicking everything she did.

"He knows already," she laughed, ducking as Tigress half-heartedly took a swipe at her. They both began to chase each other in the snow and I Po and the others began to play along. Xionemeng and Yingzi were already wrestling among the rocks and I wondered if anyone was ever going to focus again on the rescue mission.

The cheetah runners suddenly crawled out and began to sit among the rocks. The male tiger came over and I guessed the cheetah runners must have helped everyone arrive so quickly and the tiger was from one of the villages.

"Who are you?" I curiously asked.

"You should remember me Master Ice Dragon. You saved me when I was a cub," he teased.

"So, I suppose you're the new emperor then," I sighed.

He seemed to sense my weariness and admitted, "My father wasn't the best of rulers, but I have tried to learn from his mistakes although my enemies like spreading rumors of my rule."

I just nodded acknowledgement in that, and then, I scented another feline padding ever so softly, yet swiftly, over to join us.

"Master," the voice purred, and I wearily glanced toward Tai Lung. After he showed himself, everyone froze with mingled feelings of curiosity, but none of surprise. They'd traveled together. My tongue was tied for the moment. How on earth did they ever get Tigress to allow him to come with them? From the cross scowl on her face, I guessed it had to take quite a bit of persuasion.

Lucy tensed from where she was, muscles tensed as if she was ready to charge in at the signal of a fight.

"You have come back?" I mildly asked him. The time he left me, I wondered why he had gone if he simply chose to come home again.

"I wanted to wait for a chance to prove myself. I'm sincerely sorry for what I have done and I hope you can forgive me…or kill me where I stand," he growled, closing his eyes.

I had waited so long for his forgiveness. Now, we could both put the past behind us and perhaps change the mistakes we both had created together. Finally, my mind would be at ease with him after a long twenty years.

"The past is history. I forgive you," I sighed. Tigress's jaw dropped with an audible click, but she immediately snapped it shut and stood stiffly, glowering at me. I knew she had expected me to drive him away.

"He's a traitor! Who's to say he won't betray us all?" she hissed so quietly that I barely heard her. Lucy growled warningly at her though and I pretended to ignore her comment.

"So, when should we attack?" Yingzi broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Tomorrow at dawn. If we attack tonight, they'll expect it," I answered.

"And we're all armed and ready?" Yingzi asked everyone.

"Yes," Tigress meowed curtly

"Shifu, Jet, and Lucy should lead so the wolves underestimate us and believe they're the only ones. Xiongmeng, Tai Lung, Po, Tigress, Monkey, and Viper will charge in and drive the wolves out of the palace. While they're confused and distracted, the cheetah runners, Emperor Shan Hu, Mantis, and Crane can start shooting arrows from up here, and steadily move towards the battle," Yingzi said. "As usual, I cannot fight my own kind, but while they're gone, I can set fire to the palace. I'll make sure nobody is left inside," he added.

"I'm going with Yingzi to rescue Ming Yue and the others," I announced to them all. If something happened, I would not be driven off again.

"Lucy and Jet can't go alone," Tigress tactfully reminded me.

"I'll go with them," Tai Lung volunteered. For a brief moment, suspicion darted across my mind, but Lucy gave a little bounce of pleasure, and I just nodded.

"Thank You," I told him.

"I'll go too," Tigress meowed, sounding very disapproving.

"Very well," Tai Lung rumbled, and I heard from her hiss that he had annoyed her by seeming to talk down to her. Ugh…he was doing that on purpose…

"Well, let's go back to sleep then," Lucy yawned, padding a few steps off behind the rocks, and waiting for us to follow. I couldn't feel tired though…I couldn't stop thinking of the future yet to come.

Crunch, pad, pad, pad. Turning my head slightly to the left, I listened.

"There aren't, by any chance, more of you coming?" I asked carefully.

"No," Xiongmeng growled, moving into a fighting stance, as he sensed the danger too. Yingzi moved closer to him and we all waited as the sounds continued. Clanking of metal, thuds of paw steps, and voices soon became audible, and I growled.

"They're attacking now…" Lucy whispered.

No!

"Oh, crap," Mantis yelped.

"Dude, chill," Monkey snapped quietly at him.

"Look, we have to continue as planned," Crane advised them. I agreed, but something here seemed wrong.

"Let's check out what's happening. Something's up here," Po said thoughtfully.

Silently, we all began to creep through the underbrush. What happened next, I doubted anyone expected. Nearly a thousand wolves in armor and clearly battle trained, filed past us and towards the castle, but I knew they were on Nu Huo's side.

"What happened to only a few hundred untrained rogues?" Yingzi gasped. Clearly, he was bothered by the decreasing chances of victory without serious injury.

"We can still defeat them," Po enthusiastically said. I was surprised by his optimism…

"You don't believe that," Jet sighed, "And neither do I."

"We must believe that, or we're all toast," the panda muttered.

"Just continue the attack as planned. Give Shifu and I a few minutes. Then, attack as you've planned," Yingzi ordered. They seemed rather nervous, even Tigress. She was confident, but knew as well as I, that we could have no hope of defeating them without injury, and to an unknown extent.

"These are not the unwilling drafted. They're trained; loyal soldiers that will try to kill us. I think in this situation, we have no choice, but to not limit ourselves when attacking them," Tigress sighed. Though that pained me, and I wondered where the old soldiers were and where the new came from, I couldn't disagree with her there. These were bloodthirsty army wolves, who if left alone, would probably continue to destroy China anyway. I hated nonsense wars, but sometimes, there were just too many evil ones of China to simply let do what they wanted.

"Come on Yingzi," I sighed. Quickly, we turned and began to race off to the palace undetected. As I ran faster than ever, I knew I was fighting not for my own life, but for the others. Images of Xiongmeng, Yingzi, Tai Lung, Jet, Lucy, Po, Tigress, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper flashed through my mind, images of my family. Even the cheetah runners and the emperor, I would never let down. For any of them, I would die to protect.

Racing through the open doors, I snarled as a guard swung his ax at both of us. Nearly six others were coming, but they were the only ones protecting the palace.

Dodging him, I swung and slammed the edge of my palm straight between his shoulder blades. He dropped and I listened as the other six approached us more wearily.

"Take them down," Yingzi offered me.

"With pleasure," I grinned.

Leaping into the center, I dodged their weapons, swirling on my feet too fast for anyone in this room to see. Ducking one, I used one arm to lift the base of his ribs and send him flying over my head. Grabbing the blade of a second's sword, I twirled and flung him to the ground. Leaping between two wolves, attempting to ambush me, I ducked, tripped one as I swung my leg and lifted it to snap the other sharply in the jaw. Flicking my feet into a handstand, I leaped over one, ducked as he whirled around, leaped onto his outstretched blade, and flipped over his head, jabbing a nerve in his neck to send him down. As the sixth tried to catch me from behind, I shot me arms out to hold his paws wide at the elbow crease. With his arms immobilized, I shot my knee up to crack him I the jaw. A deep sound echoed and he blacked out with a gasp. The fight was over in a few seconds, and I was just getting warmed up.

"Nice. Remind me never to get in a fight with you," Yingzi teased.

"I will," I chuckled back. Getting back on task, I carefully scented the ground. The faint smell of the prisoners led up and up into the castle. Climbing the hundreds of stone stairs again was not fun, but we eventually got there. Well, we were both pretty fast…

Outside, a battle cry ripped the air and I heard clanging of metal and loud shouts and yowls of fury and pain. The battle had only begun.

"Hey, anyone in there?" Yingzi asked. At first, I thought he was teasing me. Then, I realized he was calling through an empty room where the prisoners' scents were coming from most.

"Yes. Get us out!" a panic-filled voice replied. Yingzi tested the hard wooden door, which would normally be too thick for anyone to break through.

"Stand back!" he barked. Whirling, he gave a huge round house kick into the weak spot of the door, right next to the little lock that held the door closed. Splintering of wood cracked through the air, and I heard the door fall heavily over.

"Is everyone in there okay?" Yingzi asked.

"Yes," most of them replied.

"Good. When you get out of the palace, head for the tall clump of rocks far back behind one shaped like a huge claw. You'll be safe there," he growled.

Immediately, there seemed to be panic.

"What if they catch us?"

"What will you do?"

"Why can't you come with us?"

"I want to go home!"

"Listen to him and go if you want to stay alive!" I ordered them angrily. That shut them up for a little, and muttering darkly, they left quickly.

"Shifu?" a familiar voice tinkled and I turned toward her. Her beautiful scent washed over me, and I smiled with delight. She was here.

"My little sister," I smiled, hugging her happily.

"I've missed you too," she sighed, and Yingzi gave a small bark to get out attention.

"Erm…hate to break this up, but we gotta go. Don't want to stay here for the royal bonfire," he told us, holding a torch, and laughing at his own joke. The stone walls wouldn't burn, but everything inside would, and the smoke and flames would certainly distract the wolves.

"Yeah, let's get to the party," I grinned at his joke, adding on to it amusedly.

Immediately, Ming Yue and I charged down the paths of the palace. I let Yingzi light the place on fire. He wanted some action after I defeated those guards. Burning heat and smoke filled the air, but for once, I didn't fear it, but welcomed its burning exhilaration.

"You two didn't come here by yourselves did you?" Ming Yue asked anxiously.

"Figures the damsel in distress is worried about her saviors," the large wolf teased her happily.

"Figures you have something to be worried about," she shot back and I grinned wryly. So many years had passed, and already things had become the same again.

As we shot out the doors to the castle, I assessed the situation. We were up twenty-three to however many hundred wolves there were. Despite the odds, we were skilled

enough that the battle was nearly over and nobody on our side seemed to be seriously injured.

"I assume you want to fight as usual?" I asked Ming Yue as she tensed up beside me. There was no stopping her now.

"Oh yeah," she laughed, "I've been missing on action for a while."

"I thought getting kidnapped twice already would suffice," I sighed, pretending to be downcast.

"You can kidnap me anytime," she joked.

Together, we raced into battle, dodging and fighting as a pair. Mantis was already disarming several, who looked quite surprised at being beaten by someone so small. Monkey and Viper worked together with dodges, quick strikes, and leaps back. Crane was busy flying overhead and picking off stragglers. Tigress and Tai Lung were mowing down those in their paths, snarling with rage. Xiongmeng, Po, and the emperors used unique styles while protecting each other's backs. The cheetah runners raced up dirt clouds and struck so fast that none knew what had hit them. Lucy and Jet were fighting together a little ways away and I went to join them. Yingzi raced off to find the former captives and protect them.

Blood scent spattered the air, as well as the river we had crossed on the way here. Fighting along with my family, I wondered where Nu Huo and her son were. Once they fell, the others would stop fighting.

Several moments passed and I heard a piercing shriek by the river.

"Who was that?" Ming Yue gasped in astonishment, but I felt sickening dread. I knew who it was.

Weaving through the battle, I knocked several fighters unconscious and continued to disarm and stop anyone in my path.

"Get him!" Nu Huo growled. Her son charged me, but I whipped out my swords, and brought them with a clang against his.

"Bring it on," I hissed in his face. Strongest of us, I simply shoved his blades, sending him backwards. Immediately, he caught his footing and charged again. I felt his ferocity, but he didn't have much skill and I parried him blow for blow, increasingly showing him he was clearly outmatched. I barely had to try. His mother had paused to watch and I felt her son's uncertainty growing with his fear scent. Finally, I slipped under his blades, whirled, and have a flying kick right under his rib cage. His breath whooshed out of him and he skidded on his back across the ground. Leaping after him, I twisted behind him as he got up, took his muzzle s I leaped onto his back, and forced him to the ground. With a series of jabs to his spinal cords, I froze his nerves, and turned to the mother.

Nu Huo wavered uncertainly, and I felt her desire to kill me warring with her survival instincts. Tigress smelled coated with blood, and I wondered how Nu Huo ever managed to beat her.

"You've killed him-," she choked out, backing away rapidly. No, she could not escape unpunished, not this time.

"I did not. He was too weak to be worth it," I growled, trying to entice her into a fight. She was farther away now, and suddenly she whirled and fled. Her speed was astounding considering she was a wolf, and she must have known that. It probably never would have crossed her mind that I was faster. Ignoring the cold of the snow, I sped through

it, reaching her in a matter of moments. As I closed in, she turned and her panic struck me. Ducking and speeding up to dive through her paws, I ended up a few feet in front of her. Putting a hand out, I stood firmly, giving her a hard blow in the cheat as she crashed full on into me. With a yelp, she flipped backwards through the air, rolling to a stop in a snowdrift. She tried to get up, but she collapsed and I felt her mind drift away and I knew she would stay asleep for a while.

Pulling her limp body along with me, I set her next to her son. A few wolves searching for the noise spotted their limp bodies and backed away, horror stricken.

"Nu Huo is defeated!" one of them cried out. The other wolves immediately ran to see what had happened. Very soon, a great number of them had surrounded us.

"Nu Huo defeated the ruler of the wolves. If she has been defeated, who will take her place?" one of them, an old wise male, approached me cautiously to ask.

Well, I certainly couldn't, nor would I want to. That left my friend to decide if he wanted to.

"Yingzi?" I asked him.

"Me?" he yelped and stuttered for the first time in his life, "I-I don't kn-n-now…"

"Come on, you're clearly the best wolf for the job," Xiongmeng quietly nudged him and tried to persuade him.

"Yes, thank you," he finally decided.

"Then we are bound to your word. You have our allegiance now," the old wolf returned.

"Very well. Then, Nu Huo and her son will be sent to a prison and I suppose it is good-bye. I must leave you all if I'm to rule all of my people," he told us, rather proudly now. There were separate rulers of different species, and so Yingzi would go ff to live with the other wolves as their ruler. He would help advise the emperor, along with the other rulers. I wondered what Emperor Shan Hu would do after this…

We said our good byes and the wolves all left. Yingzi took the prisoners to help bring them back and Xiongmeng went with Yingzi, to be his army general. They also escorted the cheetah runners back, as they were now satisfied with the 'lively' fight.

As we stood in the now empty battlefield, I realized Tigress wasn't hurt although she was covered in blood. The grieving wail had not come from her. She was unconscious and I realized the wail had been from Lucy. The others seemed unhurt, but I had to find Lucy now. Ming Yue and Jet were gone too.

"Po, try to see if you can wake Tigress. I'll be back," I told him. He grunted in response and began to shake her.

As I padded toward the river, I scented blood filling the water. Lucy was crying and Ming Yue smelled especially worried.

"He's fine," she told Lucy, but I could smell an awful amount of blood seeping from somewhere. When I drew nearer, I realized Jet was laying partway in the water, bleeding into it. He must have been fighting one of the wolves, though if was gone now.

"What happened?" I asked Ming Yue, worriedly. Was he dying?

"He's fine. It's just a long cut on his forehead. It's bleeding a lot though," she muttered. For a moment, I felt relieved, but I wondered why Lucy was so frightened.

"He's going to be okay," I reassured her. Her fright filled the air and I knew that she had been expecting something else; somehow, she had been expecting something much worse. But why?

"Is the battle over?" Jet woke up, sounding very confused.

"Yes, it's over now," I affirmed.

Lucy have a little happy squeak and immediately hugged him.

"Hey, what are you-?" he started, but didn't' get the chance to continue before she growled at him.

"Don't ever fight like that gain! You could have drowned or gotten killed, and then what would I do?" she lectured him, but I sensed her relief, not anger that fueled her annoyance.

"Yeah, glad to see you too," he muttered, and then they both began to laugh.

We started back for the others once it was clear that he was going to be alright except for the cut which had already stopped bleeding.

"Is Tigress okay?" I asked Po. He shrugged and I sensed his worry flashing from his mind like little lightning bolts.

"She isn't awake yet," he replied.

Emperor Shan Hu, meanwhile, had stepped closer toward her and I wondered why he seemed so surprised all of a sudden. For the first time, I noticed a small thing on the ground. Bending to pick it up, I realized it was a hairpin with a small blossom on it. Tiny words on the petals made me know it was from the palace. The scent of a tuft of fur on it made me realize it wasn't the emperor's. It belonged to Tigress.

Only then, I realized she was awake and staring at me as I held her pin from no doubt, long ago. It must have been in her pocket and she dropped it during the battle.

"You're awake my sister," the emperor breathed with wonder, and I could feel his love for her grow. What had happened that they had been separated, and why had Tigress never told me she was one of the heirs to the throne, an empress?

"What?" she yelped. She didn't know?

"You're a princess?" Po gaped, half chuckling and very nervous.

"Tigress…" I trailed off. She seemed very close to collapsing as she stood, worriedly looking around, as if to find an answer in the air.

"You left the palace so many years ago. Why did you never try to come back or even tell me you were leaving?" the emperor continued, sounding hurt. I simply stayed quiet, wanting to know what had happened too.

"It was an accident, and I didn't even know what my home was called. How would it have been possible to come back?" she simply meowed, sounding still dazed an surprised.

"Will you come back to the palace with me?" his voice shone with hope and I new he must have missed her greatly. Still, I didn't want her to leave, though I would let her choose.

"I'm sorry, but this is my home now," she told him, and I sensed no regret in her, only slight sadness she would not have much time to send with her kin.

His disappointment was evident, but he just said, "I understand. If you ever need anything or just want to talk, you can send a messenger or come visit if you like. I suppose I must get back to the palace now." As he left, he didn't turn back, though she watched him as he left. I was somewhat sympathetic towards her, but also relieved she did not regret her choice and still wanted to stay.

"We should probably visit the red panda village on the way home. There's a lot to fill each other in on too," Lucy ventured as he left.

"Yes, we probably should go," Ming Yue agreed.

The whole way back consisted of a lot of talking, and gratifyingly, nobody had serious injuries. Tigress and Po were next to each other most of the time, as Lucy seemed to trail after Tai Lung a little ways. Wow…hadn't seen that coming. We all filled each other in on stories and eventually, we reached the village. I could hear lots of sudden noises and smell good food cooking. What was going on?

"Are they having a party?" Lucy squeaked with surprise. It seemed like it…

"I think they are," Jet gaped.

"They're having a festival for us because we defeated the wolves," Tigress meowed, having recognized immediately what was happening, "Shifu, you might want to lose the cat disguise."

Sighing with resignation, I went off to go wash near one of the rivers.

Coming back, I noticed my students and family had mostly dispersed to go join the feast.

To my surprise, some on suddenly barreled into me from the side and I rolled over and over with my attacker, laughing humorously as I shoved him off.

"Yingzi, what are you doing here?" I asked, both surprised and annoyed that he had managed to take me by surprise.

"Well, Xiongmeng and I decided to join the fun before we left," he chuckled.

"And we're not leaving until we've had it," Xiongmeng rumbled with laughter.

"You're getting something," I threatened, bowling him over. I let him pick himself up, and then started toward the festival.

"You guys are staying?" Ming Yue asked happily as they came over and we all sat down at one large table with a bunch of others around us.

"Definitely," Xiongmeng grinned.

"This whole place seems like a picnic area with food stalls," Yingzi remarked. The place was filled with cooking scents ad I wondered when we were supposed to get food. I hadn't been to one of the festivals here in a long time.

"Bet 'ya Shifu can eat more moon cakes than you," Xiongmeng craftily whispered in Yingzi's ear. I turned to throw a chopstick at him, but Yingzi had already whacked him with a paw.

"No, we're not starting that again!" Yingzi growled too loudly, and we all looked at him curiously. Well, Ming Yue and I knew what he was talking about, I suppose.

"What happened?" Po asked, once again confirming my doubts about his subtlety

compared to Viper.

"Shifu won and Yingzi threw up," the rhino burst into roaring laughter. Yingzi tipped his chair over.

"Xiongmeng, you lost too," the wolf put in.

"I won against Shifu," Ming Yue smiled prettily, sounding very pleased. I flicked her with my tail.

"And you'll never guess you beat us all," Xiongmeng continued, still snorting with uncontained laughter.

"Baihehua?" Tigress asked cautiously.

"No," he faltered for a moment, as he did whenever her name war ought up. He shook it off though, and continued, thinking what I was thinking; yet laughing anyway.

"Oogway," I grinned. She gaped at me and Xiongmeng fell off his chair again, roaring with laughter.

"Awesome," Po chuckled.

"And we're not doing it again," the wolf glared at Xiongmeng.

"Scaredy-pup," Xiongmeng taunted him.

"Am not!" he yelped with high pitch and everyone laughed at this, though I knew Xiongmeng had done that on purpose to make Yingzi squeak.

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"I know you are, but what am I?"

"Really?"

"Yes?"

"Sarcasm, Yingzi, sarcasm."

"How does that fit into our conversation?"

"I was saying really as in, did you just really say that? It's the oldest insult in the book."

"What book?"

After that, their argument only got worse.

"Can we go get food now?" Po asked hopefully.

"Sure," they sighed.

The food was great and we talked a lot, mostly listening to Xiongmeng and Yingzi teasing each other. Tai Lung seemed distracted and I found out it was because when we had battled, he had truly thought I had been saying the truth and no longer loved him. He seemed to accept it when I told him what I had really been doing, and he became my son once more.

"So, are we going to have a moon cake eating contest?" Xionemgne put in hopefully.

"No," Yingzi growled, whacking his shoulder. "We've already eaten anyway," he added.

"Shh," Ming Yue interrupted them and I glanced around.

The feast was ending and I was surprised out of the beginning vocal fight when something started, sounding like a band that was playing a very pretty dance.


	15. Dreamweaver

The heat of torched set around in a circle reached my fur and I could smell incense burning. They had certainly made a very nice dancing place.

"Do you want to dance?" Tai Lung asked Tigress, and I flicked my ears with surprise. I supposed it wouldn't be practical for him to dance with Lucy, as he was so tall, but he must know Tigress hadn't exactly warmed up to him yet.

"No," she growled pointedly.

"I challenge you to a dance," he cleverly continued.

"Fine," she sighed, sounding absolutely exasperated. Po seemed a little annoyed by this, and I wondered if he ever wanted to be only friends with her. Maybe he wanted more…

"Do you want to dance Crane?" Viper hissed curiously.

"Eh…" he trailed off, shuffling his feathers uncomfortably.

"Oh, go on Crane," Monkey insisted.

"Sure," he answered awkwardly, sounding pleased nonetheless.

Jet and Lucy actually didn't dance with each other. They were both asked to dance by other young red pandas from the village. Xiongmeng, Yingzi, Po, Monkey, and Mantis mainly watched with no hard feelings.

"Come on Shifu," Ming Yue piped up, standing. No…

""No thanks," I answered. Dancing was all right, but I didn't like large public ones. She seemed put out and Xiongmeng chuckled.

"Don't leave your damsel in distress," he laughed. Okay, what was with him and that? I turned to glare at him, but the others were barely containing their own laughter.

Picking up one of my chopsticks, I threw it accurately, so that it whacked him hard in the side of the head.

"Fine, you win, but shut up," I growled at him. Ming Yue flicked her tail excitedly, but I still sighed. Most of the red pandas were watching us curiously.

As she begin the dance, I realized she was trying to get me to start the one we made up many years ago, based on Kung Fu fighting. Though I was stronger, she was slightly faster than me, and we both had to slow our paces down so that anyone would actually see us instead of a blur of fur. Swirling together, as one, but two parts of it, we twisted and leapt; appearing as if we were fighting each other, but the graceful movements and peace behind the fake blows betrayed its true intent, as a dance.

Some of the others had stopped dancing now and were staring at us. I ignored them and continued to dance with Ming Yue though. I had only just found her again and I would do anything for her. Gradually, the song ended and we swirled to a stop. The red pandas, my students, friends, and family cheered for us. Well, so much for discreet…

The dances seemed to stop after that and a loud bang made me jump. It was a while before I realized it was just the fireworks. Sheesh…why did they always have to have those obnoxiously loud things? The trouble with them is I could never actually pinpoint them very well. With Xionemgne, Yingzi, Baihehua, Oogway, Ming Yue, and I, I could simply ignore the fireworks, but here, nobody knew I couldn't see them, and I wasn't about to change that.

Sitting down beside my wife, I gazed where I thought the burning scent was coming from. Soon, I noticed wearily that some of my students had turned to watch me curiously. Xionemgne, Yingzi, Tai Lung, and Ming Yue weren't sure why the others were looking at me like that and the Furious Five, Po, and my children were jut extremely confused.

"What is it?" Po asked me curiously. Now that made me confused too.

"What is what?"

"What are you looking at?" he continued. That seemed to confuse Xiongmeng, Yingzi, Tai Lung, and Ming Yue even more.

"Well, technically, he can't look at anything," Xiongmeng began irritably, thinking Po was teasing me as they used to good-humoredly.

"What do you mean?" Tigress impatiently echoed, thinking Xiongmeng was completely out of his mind.

"Well, you know he can't see," Xiongmeng snapped back and I growled warningly at him, adding a sharp glare.

"What?" Tigress yelped.

"Oh no, you didn't tell them…?" Xiongmeng groaned, suddenly realizing what was happening.

"Really, you think so?" I sarcastically growled.

"Shifu…" Tigress started.

"Can I say something?" Po asked.

"No!" she snapped.

"Hey, cool it!" Monkey told her. Wrong move…he was way too bold for his own good sometimes.

Before Tigress, lashing her tail angrily, could pounce on the now cowering monkey, Yingzi snarled angrily enough for them to stop, but low enough that the villagers didn't turn to our noise.

"Stop fighting! Both of you be quiet, it still, and watch the fireworks!" he impatiently barked. With his ferocity at its height, I think that only Xiongmeng, Ming Yue, and I really knew that he would never really hurt them, but was simply trying to make them be quiet and stop bothering me. Amazingly enough, everyone was quiet. I sensed Tigress would want to talk to me after this. After all these years, I was surprised that they would simply learn my secret just like that and I couldn't help wondering how they would take this.

Sighing, I contented myself in closing my eyes and enjoying the sounds and smells of nature. I never relaxed completely though. If the wolves decided to attack withoutYingzi's permission, or something else happened, we had to be ready, especially outside the Valley of Peace.

The snow still covered the ground, with a few leaves hanging stubbornly to the tree tips. The cold breeze didn't make me feel colder anymore, but instead, strangely invigorating and calming. Remembering my fight with Tai Lung, I concentrated all my chi energy. The snow began to glide along the ground as I moved it, and I let it swirl to the other side of the tale and settle on Ming Yue's hand. Moving it felt like being in water and bulling in a certain direction, moving the snow along with it as water would.

This was a very interesting concept. Oogway told us all as students what element we were mostly in touch with. If you had very strong chi and the will to control it, you could summon strong power with that element. Before Ming Yue was lost, I was able to use it. I figured it stopped with the loss of my heart, but it didn't return when Tai Lung was mine, only when he attacked and we were separated.

Connected with ice, I was calming, hard, calculating, cold, and had a sharp temper. Both Yingzi and Tai Lung were fire: stubborn, raging, and fierce in both hate and love. The unpredictability, soothing, sharp, and cool qualities of water belonged to Baihehua, Tigress, and Lucy (I could now sense the elements in others). As earth, Monkey, Xiongmeng, Jet, and Viper were observing, sincere and could be hard or caressing. Wondering openness, peacefulness, and ability to be cool and warm tempered as air belonged to Po, Mantis, Oogway, Ming Yue, and Crane.

I could also tell who could use their elements. I knew Lucy, Jet, and I could sense dreams concerning our elements or danger. Oogway used to too. Lucy could follow paths through the disturbed air molecules and particular scents, Jet could fell the vibrations of the body through earth to separate the truth from lies, and Tigress already had many abilities of water, though she didn't understand them. Neither did Jet and Lucy, only

knowing they had some mysterious powers. Oogway loved the earth and controlled it well to help it thrive, loving peaches mostly and constantly using their petals and wood. Po knew he used something in the 'Wuxi Finger Hold' but didn't know many details. Tai Lung used fire many times in his fight recently against me. Using ice to cool the air around his flames, freeze Oogway's staff and snap it, do the same to the large boulder, and protect the pads of my hands from the large knife he once tried to kill me with, I exercised my power and knew I could still use it. Ming Yue could not use her power to any extent farther than how her emotions naturally were, as is natural for everyone. Everyone has and element they are bound to. It depends whether you can get it to bind to you too.

Ming Yue gave a small startled gasp as she felt the snow. Her hand was under the table, so she knew it could not have come from the air. When she turned to me, I could sense she was a little confused, but stayed silent.

"Did you do that?" she mouthed quietly and I grinned in response.

"Concentrate on your element," I replied, again, as she had, in a low voice the others couldn't hear. A while passed and I wondered if maybe she couldn't. Then, a giant pile of snow fell off one of the branches above and landed on my head. This caused the others to laugh, though they didn't know Ming Yue had done that. Once they started watching the fireworks again, we quietly laughed in our joke.

The fireworks began to end and I flicked my ears suddenly to show her that we had company. A red panda, a good many years older than me, shuffled over and stopped by us. The others watched curiously until he shifted nervously under their gazes. Was he going to speak?

"My name is Hong Yan. My wife and I would be honored if you would stay the night at our home. There's a large upstairs attic that would serve as a bedroom," he formally told us.

Tigress gave a low rumble towards me, clearly asking me to decide. Hong Yan flinched, and at first I thought he had interpreted her low growl as anger, but then I realized he had been addressing Tigress and was worried I was annoyed he had not to me. Of course, I wasn't. She was naturally leader of the Furious Five.

"Thank you. We accept your offer," I gave him a polite nod. Yingzi started to say something and I guessed he and Xiongmeng wanted to start heading back to the wolf palace. I was right.

"Thanks for having us, but we got to go if we want to get home by tomorrow," Yingzi calmly said. It was rather too bad that he no longer thought he was home with us, but then again, he had been gone for over twenty years.

"Bye," Xiongmeng gruffly said. I knew he wanted to say more, but he was never a serious talker and jokes wouldn't be appreciated at this moment. Everyone said their good-byes and they left. Sometime, I would have to send them messages through Zeng. They were fun to be around after not seeing them for such a long time.

Hong Yan was looking expectantly at us, so eventually, we began to follow him. It was so dark and cold of a night, I guessed it was nearly midnight and would probably snow again. It didn't take very long until we got to his house. He and his wife set a few things up and they left quietly with a quick 'good night.' For the name Red Blaze, he had seemed to grow a lot shyer over the years.

Though tonight had been quite a big night for everyone, most of them went right to sleep without farther chat. Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper were close together, but very separate, Po, Tigress, Tai Lung, Lucy, and Jet were in another group, and Ming Yue and I were by ourselves. The dark night was cold around us, but finally content with my family around me, I drifted off into a peaceful, silent sleep.

Something was calling me back to the forest. I didn't know why, but the wolves seemed to be calling to me too. Shadows tore at their fur and I knew I didn't want to go back to the forest; I wanted to escape from here. Something deadly serious was coming and we were all in big trouble…or maybe…it was already here. There was no escape…just darkness or the wolves, already being controlled by the evil. Death…despair..blood…Maybe it would never come, but it seemed so real, so close. It will come. It is coming. Soon it will be here. As it has before.

When I woke up to the frigid morning air, I could still smell blood. It was all around me. Death…despair…blood.

"Hi Lucy!" Jet was bouncing beside me, seeming quite excited after our adventures. "It's almost time to go."

"Does something seem a little strange to you?" I asked. My dreams had been right before and maybe there really was something coming...but what could be worse than what had already happened?

"No, why?" my brother finally came back into seriousness and glanced at me worriedly.

"Nothing, maybe its just the weather," I trailed off, still thinking. I could think of nothing that could be this much trouble for us. He started to frown a little, knowing I wasn't telling the truth.

"Lucy, if something's worrying you, you can tell me," he insisted.

"I know, and I will, just not yet," I sighed. Standing up, I followed him back to the others. Apparently the cheetahs had disappeared after the battle. They needn't stay anyway, since we could get back to the Jade Palace slower.

The couple day journey started to make me more and more anxious. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did. Shifu must have realized something was wrong, though Ming Yue didn't. Jet knew I was unhappy, but couldn't' figure out why. It took a while, almost until we had almost reached the Thread of Hope when I figured it out. There was no scent of anything particularly abnormal, nor could I see anything. That was when I heard a slow awkward sound, like rubbing on wood with a soft leaf.

"Jet, there's something coming," I hissed quietly in his ear, though we were at the back of the group. I didn't want our pursuer to hear.

"Are you sure?" he quickly growled.

"Yes, there's been around the whole time we were moving. Someone is sliding his or her paws through the snow. Whatever it is, it's really big and strong to do that. That snow would be really hard to push through without taking steps over it, much less doing it quickly," I whispered back.

"I don't smell anyone," he replied, sounding a little unsure.

"It's snowing," I fiercely snapped back, "Of course not. If whoever it s wants to go undetected, the snow would definitely help."

"I'll go warn them that someone is fallowing us," he whispered.

Though tonight had been quite a big night for everyone, most of them went right to sleep without farther chat. Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper were close together, but very separate, Po, Tigress, Tai Lung, Lucy, and Jet were in another group, and Ming Yue and I were by ourselves. The dark night was cold around us, but finally content with my family around me, I drifted off into a peaceful, silent sleep.

Something was calling me back to the forest. I didn't know why, but the wolves seemed to be calling to me too. Shadows tore at their fur and I knew I didn't want to go back to the forest; I wanted to escape from here. Something deadly serious was coming and we were all in big trouble…or maybe…it was already here. There was no escape…just darkness or the wolves, already being controlled by the evil. Death…despair..blood…Maybe it would never come, but it seemed so real, so close. It will come. It is coming. Soon it will be here. As it has before.

When I woke up to the frigid morning air, I could still smell blood. It was all around me. Death…despair…blood.

"Hi Lucy!" Jet was bouncing beside me, seeming quite excited after our adventures. "It's almost time to go."

"Does something seem a little strange to you?" I asked. My dreams had been right before and maybe there really was something coming...but what could be worse than what had already happened?

"No, why?" my brother finally came back into seriousness and glanced at me worriedly.

"Nothing, maybe its just the weather," I trailed off, still thinking. I could think of nothing that could be this much trouble for us. He started to frown a little, knowing I wasn't telling the truth.

"Lucy, if something's worrying you, you can tell me," he insisted.

"I know, and I will, just not yet," I sighed. Standing up, I followed him back to the others. Apparently the cheetahs had disappeared after the battle. They needn't stay anyway, since we could get back to the Jade Palace slower.

The couple day journey started to make me more and more anxious. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did. Shifu must have realized something was wrong, though Ming Yue didn't. Jet knew I was unhappy, but couldn't' figure out why. It took a while, almost until we had almost reached the Thread of Hope when I figured it out. There was no scent of anything particularly abnormal, nor could I see anything. That was when I heard a slow awkward sound, like rubbing on wood with a soft leaf.

"Jet, there's something coming," I hissed quietly in his ear, though we were at the back of the group. I didn't want our pursuer to hear.

"Are you sure?" he quickly growled.

"Yes, there's been around the whole time we were moving. Someone is sliding his or her paws through the snow. Whatever it is, it's really big and strong to do that. That snow would be really hard to push through without taking steps over it, much less doing it quickly," I whispered back.

"I don't smell anyone," he replied, sounding a little unsure.

"It's snowing," I fiercely snapped back, "Of course not. If whoever it s wants to go undetected, the snow would definitely help."

"I'll go warn them that someone is fallowing us," he whispered.

When he left, I suddenly felt my vision go black before an image forced itself into my mind. A huge white wolf with hypnotic amber eyes stood glaring through a blizzard. Its gaze was focused right on me, appearing lofty and cunning. Slowly and deliberately, it wrinkled its lips to reveal long white teeth stained with blood.

"Dreamweaver"

The word popped into my head without me thinking of it, and I knew it was the wolf's name. The wolf looked slowly up to the sky and I fallowed its gaze. A bright moon sat in the sky above. It passed over us twice, until it was gone. The wolf looked back, and slowly blinked. At first, I thought he was fading, and then I realized I was.

"I am from the dream world. I have chosen you to access it because I watch the world from the heavens and create dreams. You would have questions for me?"

"Is there danger coming?" I asked cautiously. This was all so strange, yet I knew I must ask him questions while I was here.

"Danger? There is always danger," he continued in a slow, low voice.

"You sent me a dream. I s something bad going to happen to us?"

"I simply warned you of my forthcoming. I will be with you in your dreams, and sometimes it will be a blessing, but more often a curse," he replied.

"How can you visit me from the heavens?"

"I can visit anyone. To be dead is quite an interesting experience."

"How do you create dreams?" I wondered.

"I cannot tell you that. I cannot share any of the Thousand Secrets of Life. I can tell you though, that I discovered the means to create dreams while I was living, and I will help you in your dreams."

"Why me?"

"I create all dreams and distribute them at random. Dreams of the future I receive and give to those worthy. Just as Oogway and Shifu have, I visit you now. I could only choose one of you. Your brother does not have the gift. My laws bind me."

"I'm the only one who has seen you though."

"No, this is not I. I worked my element on my physical and mental body beyond repair to allow myself to create of dreams. Now, only the image of my soul remains."

"I still see you."

"I have chosen."

"What was your element?"

"I am the one born of all. Through water in blood, air between molecules, earth from whence we came, fire through energy, and ice in death, I create new dimensions of the mind. My experiments have mutilated me, when I was living. Now, only my memory remains."

"Will I see you in all my dreams?"

"I will visit you every new moon. That is all I can offer. No one has known of my existence for so long. It would be nice to know I am wanted."

"Can I tell anyone?"

"Yes, but be aware, always aware of the simplicity of many of you. My being is not easily understood."

"Goodbye Dreamweaver."

"Hmhmhm. Goodbye little Lucy. I will help you. We re forever bound," the wolf chuckled before fading away.

My sight came back and I shivered in the snow.

"Are you okay?" my father asked, glancing at me with confusion. I realized I was simply sitting in the snow and got up quickly.

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied.

"Is someone fallowing us?" he pressured.

"No."

"Are you sure?" Jet asked doubtfully. His confusion and frustration overwhelmed me.

"Yes. It was nothing really," I sighed. Dad looked unconvinced, but he just nodded, and left to catch up with the rest of the group. I realized he knew something up, and was simply giving me the choice whether to tell him and Jet of not.

"Lucy, really. You were all worked up about this earlier, I can tell you're lying, and just earlier, you sat down in the snow and didn't get up until I called you two more times," Jet growled.

Forgetting myself, I blurted out, "How long were you gone?"

"Only a few seconds, why?" he said suspiciously.

This stunned me before I could answer. Surely I had been out of it longer than that! We had been in the dream world for what seemed like a lot longer.

"I had a dream earlier and I got jumpy on the way. When I started hearing noises, I got jumpy. When there were the sounds that were like footsteps, I thought it was something," I simply said. That was the truth, and he would know. He still seemed suspicious after I told him this, but then he shrugged and sighed. "Fine, don't tell me, see if I care," he walked off with a huff.

That stung me as he walked away. We had never really been in a fight before, always being really close to each other. I couldn't believe he got annoyed at me over this. Well, for now, he would have to deal with this. Dreamweaver was right…this was my secret to bear. Trotting quicker to catch up with him, I walked side by side as we continued heading home. His fur bristled slightly when I got too close, but he relaxed after a while.

"Finally!" Po sighed as we reached the palace again. Though I had only been there a couple days, already it felt like returning home and to a life I'd barely touched. As we walked through the gates to the village, the villagers suddenly began to dash around, screaming with fright. What was going on? There weren't any strangers here except Ming Yue and…Tai Lung. I had heard what happened to him and my father and I could see both sides. Though what Tai Lung did was evil, at least father seemed to have forgiven him.

"I will not harm you. You have my word that the Valley of Peace will not suffer from my return," Tai Lung solemnly told them. Hostile mutters were cast in our direction despite his words and they only looked away when Shifu turned a stern glare on them, not threatening, but simply disappointed at their reactions.

Padding up to the Jade Palace, I felt at home again. My father and mother were here with us and I was surrounded with new friends. My father surprised me once again, when he announced to us something rather abruptly.

"Ming Yue and I believe you are ready to be masters," he told us. I paused for a moment in astonishment. Even when I had trained with mother, for so long, I never

expected this honor. My father, student of the originator of Kung Fu, believed I was ready to be a master?

"Thank you," was all I could think to say before bowing to him quickly.

Jet did the same and we both stood by the gates to the Jade Palace, wreathed in golden sunbeams and standing in crystal snow.

Before I could think to ask, Shifu suddenly added, "You too Tai Lung." The big snow leopard's astonishment was clear on his face, before delight slowly washed over his features. Po, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane were smiling encouragingly at us. Even Tigress did, though once or twice, I saw a flicker of mixed feelings flash through her eyes when she glanced at Tai Lung. Well, I was glad he was becoming a master too. Maybe now he could prove himself to his new family, and I could help him. Jet cast a glance at Tai Lung and then me. His jaw dropped momentarily, but he quickly snapped it shut, glared at me teasingly, and then looked away.

"Ming Yue, you have trained these two, do you believe Lucy and Jet are ready to be proclaimed masters, and they have had satisfactory learning, though they will always continue to learn?" Shifu asked her, and I sensed this was almost like a tradition.

"Yes," she replied.

"Tai Lung is ready, for he has always done what he thought was right," father continued. Those words surprised many of us, but I knew he truly meant them. Tai Lung always thought he had been doing the right thing, though it wasn't always so.

"Thank you…" he started, but Shifu just smiled and continued.

"You have experienced much sorrow and temptation, but you know in our heart what is right, and your strength and will blazes within you. Is it your wish to become a master of Kung Fu and protect your home and the innocent?" he asked. Both of them seemed to be shining with some invisible energy, and I knew this was a very meaningful moment for both of them.

"Yes," Tai Lung purred happily.

"Then I name you Master Snow Claw. Welcome home," Shifu smiled. Jet was named Master Jade Stone and I was Master Gold Dawn. I was glad he did not name me in some correspondence to Dream Weaver. I couldn't live as a master, named after some dream god from the heavens… Strangely enough, though it made me relieved, they actually didn't really call each other by their master names.

"Congratulations little one," a faint voice rumbled in my ear. I didn't bother to turn to look. I already knew I would see nothing.

"Thank you Dreamweaver," I whispered.

"Your destiny has only begun…"


	16. Resolution

As I gazed at my students, I felt a peace I had not felt for a long time. Unlike my lie to Po, I know was finally at peace. My wife I had given up as dead was alive and with me always. Two children I didn't even know I had were suddenly mine. Jet looked proud and Lucy, listening to something no one else could hear. She would always have her secrets, though her soft spot for Tai Lung was becoming more pronounced. Tai Lung, my son too, would finally get a chance at a new life. And, of course, I had Po, a good friend, and my students, the Furious Five. As I was creating a new start with Tai Lung, maybe I could do so with my Tigress too.

Remembering my master name, I thought of the names of all I knew. They were all so treasured to me. Xiongmeng was Master Flying Rhino, Oogway was Master Jade Tortoise, Baihehua was Master Black Lily, Yingzi was Master Dark Shadow, Ming Yue was Master Silver Moon, Tigress was Master Amber Fire, Crane was Master Swift Wind, Mantis was Master Lightning Flash, Monkey was Master Fleet Foot, Viper was Master Ribbon Dancer, and Po was Master Thunder Storm. I was Master Ice Dragon.

Together, we're the protectors of the Valley of Peace, and eternally Kung Fu masters, warriors of the art.

Peace had finally come.


End file.
